What do all of the happiest-looking homes have in common? Greenery, and lots of it.
That’s because greenery, and nature in general, makes us feel happier, calmer, more productive and more relaxed. There’s even a hashtag (#plantsmakepeoplehappy) that commemorates the phenomenon, and at 376,000 posts, it’s still going strong.
We surround ourselves with plants during many of life’s biggest moments, like weddings and funerals, and even give them to our S.O. to show them we care. It’s no surprise that public parks and community gardens are often considered sacred spaces. But what about our homes?
For many folks, the barrier to adding plants to their home is learning how the heck to keep them alive, and where to actually put them. While our friends at Food52 have already laid out a no-b.s. guide to no-kill houseplants, we’ve found some of the most innovative ways you can add plants to your home without taking up much space.
From tension rods and coat hooks, to water plants and shower vines, below are 10 of our favorite hacks for adding greenery to your small space:
1 Mount extra shelving inside, around, or under your windows
Give your plants a place in your home you know they’ll thrive — right in the window. Small-space dwellers know that windows can be prime real estate for art, plants, and other trinkets. Instead, add storage to this otherwise unused space in your home by hanging over-the-window plant shelves, using clear suction-cupped shelves, or by getting custom-made shelves fitted for your window. You can even mount a shelf level with your window ledge to give the appearance of more depth, like the Instagrammer above. This hack is a bonus for cat owners, who will love a solution that keeps their greenery away from the prying paws of their furry friends.
2 Create a succulent wall
Vertical succulent gardens are perfect for folks who want to add art and greenery to their home without taking up valuable floor and countertop space. Of course, you can pay for pre-made ones, like this $270 succulent wall from Pottery Barn, or you can make your own with a specially designed wall planter for growing your own succulent garden. There are cheaper pre-made succulent gardens, but you need to know where to look. We recommend checking out the local artisans on Etsy.
3 Display your greenery on a picture ledge
Picture ledges are a no-hassle way to add plants to your home, in otherwise unused spaces. Unlike regular ol’ shelves, picture ledges typically have a small groove down the length of the base (intended to, well, display pictures), but they also usually have a small lip along the edge to keep art from falling off. The lip is a handy way to make sure your plants don’t get knocked off by wayward pets or grabby toddlers. Plus, picture ledges tend to be cheaper than regular shelves. Just be sure they are wide enough to hold your potted plants, like these acrylic ledges.
4 Hang small planters from unused coat hooks
This is an innovative and super space-saving way to add a pop of green in almost any room in your home. Hang small succulent planters from the unused hooks on your towel or coat rack. Bonus points if the shelf has top storage for more greenery.
5 Mount tension rods to hang multiple plants
Use tension rods throughout your home to get your greenery off of counters, tabletops, window sills and other valuable storage real estate. Instead, large and sturdy tension rods can hold a significant amount of weight from larger plants like leggy vines, and smaller tension rods can be used with cute hanging planters and matching S hooks to mount smaller plants like succulents.
6 Grow greenery in your shower
Hear us out on this one. Your shower is probably one of the most underrated spaces in your home when it comes to art and design. Instead of simply hanging an eye-catching shower curtain and leaving it at that, use a cute macrame hanger to grow a moisture-loving plant like a fern right in your shower. If you’re hesitant to mount a ceiling hook in your bathroom, a waterproof suction-cupped shelf is a smart solution for growing smaller plants, or simply keeping a few plants tub-side in a cute, waterproof pots will make your bathroom feel clean and refreshed.
7 Ditch the dirt and instead grow plants in water
Horticulturalists and houseplant lovers alike know that propagation is one of the easiest way to increase the number of plants in your home, without breaking the bank. It’s the process of cutting a section of a healthy plant just below where a leaf and stem meet. Stick the cutting into a round-bottom jar that’ll provide enough room for the roots to grow, and you have yourself a water plant. Not all plants can survive this way in the long term, but some of the best ones to start with are herbs like sage, lavender, rosemary and mint, which need smaller wide-bottom vases or wall-mount vases, and houseplants like English ivy, philodendron, fiddle leaf fig and spider plants.
8 Grow what you can eat
A smart way to add greenery in your home is to grow greens you can eat. From wall-mount herb gardens and tiny tabletop greenhouses, to small citrus trees and veggies, there are endless ways to turn the foods you into into beautiful greenery around your home.
9 Mount a wire grid for versatility
Use a wall-mounted wire grid alongside S hooks as a versatile and space-saving way to get plants into your home. Some wire grids include mountable shelves, which you can use for an even more customizable look. Hang all of your plant essentials — watering can or mister and gardening scissors — on it for quick access, too.
10 Think about your plants as art
Consider adding plants to your home as pieces of art. Whether it’s a bit of hanging eucalyptus, like this Instagrammer used, or it’s your own variation of artwork made of hanging plants and flowers, there are endless ways to incorporate plants into your artwork. Try hanging dried flowers or fresh eucalyptus next to a macrame wall hanging. We recommend using the artisans on Etsy to find unique, one-of-a-kind wall hangings that would pair nicely with greenery.
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