Pot plants for portable home decor

Looking to give your interior spaces a lift? Consider an indoor pot plant or two, or more. There are numerous plants that grow well indoors. Here are a few that are in vogue at the moment.

Indoor potted plants can really bring a room to life. You may have the latest in furniture, art and appliances, but something green and alive may just provide that touch of vibrant difference to your interior spaces.

"There are some beautiful plants available that grow very well indoors," says Melissa Kruyt, from Interior Oasis in Beaconsfield, a firm specialising in hiring out indoor plant pots to liven up offices, showrooms, foyers and apartments. "If you choose the right plants and maintain them properly then you'll have something attractive and interesting to look at for years."

Pot plants and garden shade

Some plants prefer darker spots, while others enjoy more light. "But most indoor plants don't like being placed in direct sunlight for long periods," Melissa says.

One plant preferring low to medium light - and which is therefore perfect for a corner of the living area or lounge room - is the Dracaena fragrans massangeana, also known as the Chinese happy plant. They grow to around 2m tall and usually have a crown of leaves atop a straight trunk. They will live quite happily on a cup of water per week. During summer they might need a little bit more.

With its strong, stylish lines and angular foliage, the yucca is another popular indoor plant. In contrast to the happy plant, the yucca prefers strong light, so place them close to a window. They'll need a bit more water too than other potted plants - perhaps two cups per week.

"Just be careful if you've got small children," warns Melissa. "Yuccas have very pointy leaves, which might endanger their eyes."

Other popular indoor plants include the bamboo palm, which has a soft, feathery foliage and quite a modern look; the bromeliad, a very hardy plant with angular flowers in yellow, red or pink; the zanzibar, a smaller plant with glossy leaves set on a long stem; and the ponytail palm, a slow-growing plant that has long, wispy foliage like a pony's tail. Like most indoor plants, all these require fertilising once a year.

Colour schemes and pot plants

Melissa suggests getting creative with your plant pot choices to bring colour and vibrancy to your indoor spaces. There is a huge range of shapes and sizes available, with square tapered pots being particularly popular in modern, minimalist interiors. Melissa also points to a wide variety of coloured glossy pebbles, which can be placed on top of the soil in the pot to bring out the colour of the pots and the surrounding features in the room.

"You can get quite imaginative with your colours and shapes and the way you place plant pots around the room," she says.

To get started with gardening indoors and find some bright or leafy pot plants, locate your nearest nursery: