Walking on Sunshine

Bright Light

Most plant tags and information cards often list one of the following requirements: “bright light", “bright indirect light" or “indirect to low light". Let's break these terms down.

Sunshine spilling in from south-facing windows is categorized as bright light. In this scenario, plants are usually placed close to the light source. Cactus, Euphorbias, succulents and numerable strange-looking arid creatures, love bright light. Not unlike its owners, greenery can suffer sunburn if the light is too intense. Aloes, Haworthias, Hoyas and some succulents will take on a ruby hue or present with scorched tips. If this is the case, move them further away from the window. Also remember that when winter temperature drops below freezing, our window sills become quite chilly. Make sure to move your plants out of Jack Frost's reach.

Here are some of my favourite sunshiny nooks:

Bright Indirect Light

Bright indirect light describes a warm, sun-filled room. While the light source is usually a large, south- facing window, the location of the plants is somewhere central or off-center in that room. Bright indirect light specimens include: Monstera, Rubber plants, Fig Trees, Chinese Evergreens, Spider plants, Pothos, Peace Lilies and Ferns. Some of these will also be listed as “tolerant of low light conditions". The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word tolerate as: to deal with something unpleasant or annoying, or to continue existing despite bad or difficult conditions. In my experience, these plants are most successful in brighter areas.

Indirect to Low Light

Indirect to low light is similar to bright indirect light; the difference being, the plants are positioned even further away from the window. Often, these are situated on the other side of the room. Be careful not to read the words low light as no light! We so badly want to fill those tricky spots: in a corner, behind a chair, in a bathroom and where there is no natural light. These areas are where we want a lush tropical oasis to thrive most. These are the spaces we send bright light tropical plants to die.

Low Light plants such as: Snake plants, ZZ plants and Cast-Iron plants, will survive the most challenging locations, as long as they are not over-watered. If you cannot achieve the desired height, there are many attractive fixes. Plant stands, ladders, shelving and hangers are all creative solutions for this problem. To tackle these tricky areas myself, I’m also learning about decor-friendly ways to introduce artificial lighting. Be aware that without sufficient light, plants will grow at a snail's pace. I suggest purchasing an already impressive sized specimen; especially, if you are looking for instant gratification.

More to Come…

Once we get through all of the nitty gritty basics, I promise you the fun will begin. I look forward to introducing you to some incredibly talented, creative, and knowledgeable experts, whom I also call friends. If inspiration is what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.