How Do I... Add Plants to My Kitchen?
Jazz up your kitchen and give your cooking a flavour hit with some carefully chosen herbs and other plants
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning design and decorating questions. Here, Mark Paul, director at The Greenwall Company, reveals how to choose plants that will thrive in your kitchen.
Plants are a wonderful addition to a kitchen. They add a touch of colour and calm, while cooling and purifying the air – and all for very little outlay.
Which plants are easiest to grow?
Potted herbs or a greenwall of herbs are my top picks. They’re easy to care for and require little more than a daily water. They can also come in very handy when you’re cooking – simply reach across, pick off a few leaves and add them to your dish.
Potted herbs or a greenwall of herbs are my top picks. They’re easy to care for and require little more than a daily water. They can also come in very handy when you’re cooking – simply reach across, pick off a few leaves and add them to your dish.
Other easy-care plants that will look great in the kitchen include:
- succulents: a low-maintenance option, but they do require bright light so sit them on a sunny windowsill,
- moth orchids (Phalaenopsis): they require strong, indirect sunlight. You can leave up to 10 days between waterings. Pack gravel, sand and sphagnum moss around them and they’ll do well,
- radiator plants (Peperomia): this easy-to-grow houseplant only requires watering every 10 days or so,
- laceleaf (Anthuriums): ideal for more shaded spots as they require less light, and
- maidenhair ferns (Adiantum): these look great when hung in the corner of a kitchen, but require regular watering so you’ll need to choose a spot that you can reach easily.
Where should I put them?
Houseplants need different levels of sunlight depending on the species, but generally speaking you should give them as much as possible. Position them as close to windows as you can.
Houseplants need different levels of sunlight depending on the species, but generally speaking you should give them as much as possible. Position them as close to windows as you can.
Will a vertical garden work in a kitchen?
Absolutely. A vertical garden (or greenwall) can be a stunning addition to your kitchen. It will create an eye-catching feature on your wall and won’t take up any precious surface space.
Installing an automated irrigation system will make it far easier to keep your vertical garden thriving all year round. If you want to go down this route, you’ll need to factor in the position of pipework when choosing a location for your greenwall.
Also be sure to position your greenwall as near as possible to windows, so that plants receive enough sunlight. Installing a special lighting system if there are no windows nearby can exceed the cost of the greenwall itself. Consult an expert to find out which plants are best suited to your kitchen’s microclimate, and the best spot to position your vertical garden in.
Absolutely. A vertical garden (or greenwall) can be a stunning addition to your kitchen. It will create an eye-catching feature on your wall and won’t take up any precious surface space.
Installing an automated irrigation system will make it far easier to keep your vertical garden thriving all year round. If you want to go down this route, you’ll need to factor in the position of pipework when choosing a location for your greenwall.
Also be sure to position your greenwall as near as possible to windows, so that plants receive enough sunlight. Installing a special lighting system if there are no windows nearby can exceed the cost of the greenwall itself. Consult an expert to find out which plants are best suited to your kitchen’s microclimate, and the best spot to position your vertical garden in.
Where are some nice places to arrange plants in the kitchen?
Benchtops, windowsills and side tables are the best spots for potted plants. I don’t like clutter in a kitchen, so rather than clusters of pots, I would choose to place them in recessed troughs wherever possible.
You could place potted plants up high on shelves to mix up the look, but remember that your plants will need enough sunlight to thrive, so if the area up high is dark you may need to install a special lighting system.
Benchtops, windowsills and side tables are the best spots for potted plants. I don’t like clutter in a kitchen, so rather than clusters of pots, I would choose to place them in recessed troughs wherever possible.
You could place potted plants up high on shelves to mix up the look, but remember that your plants will need enough sunlight to thrive, so if the area up high is dark you may need to install a special lighting system.
Tell us
How have you incorporated plants into your kitchen? Tell us about it in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
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How have you incorporated plants into your kitchen? Tell us about it in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
More
Read more ‘How Do I…’ stories