Little Houseplants With Big Impact

Little Houseplants With Big Impact


Exotic Angel plants come in an almost dizzying array of shapes and colors. Here are some great ways to mix and match some of the most popular varieties. By Doug Jimerson
Keep it in the Family

Keep it in the Family

If you think all ferns look alike, you have a big surprise coming. These lush and lovely houseplants offer a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Bird’s nest ferns, for example, sport shiny flat leaves while Rabbit’s Foot ferns have frilly foliage atop a network of fuzzy roots. Yet, all ferns have similar needs so it’s super easy to keep them happy together where you can provide the same moisture and humidity to the whole family. Here, Bird’s Nest fern, White Rabbit’s Foot fern, and Fluffy Ruffles fern happily coexist.
Compliment Collectables

Compliment Collectables

Little houseplants are like potato chips, you can’t stop with just one. And that’s doubly true if you’re a collector by nature. My wife Karen, for example, collects Glassybabies, hand-blown, glass candle holders in a host of colors. She soon discovered that Exotic Angel plants pair perfectly with her collection because they complement each other in size and color. Here, for example, she paired the bright green variegated leaves of Rex begonia with a quartet of green Glassybabies to create a stunning centerpiece on our dining room table.
Try a Trio

Try a Trio

Decorators and designers know that good things happen in threes. The principle of the “rule of three” suggests that things that come in threes are more satisfying than any other set of items. (See our story about the rule of three.) And the nice thing about pint-sized houseplants is that you can group them in trios throughout your home without taking up much space. Here, Purple Waffle plant, ‘Camille’ dieffenbachia, and ‘Limelight’ dracaena create an eye-catching mix of color and texture.
Go Variegated

Go Variegated

Do you know the old saying about how no two snowflakes are alike? Well the same thing can be said about variegated houseplants. Each of these jewel-like beauties produces leaves in a myriad of cream, yellow, pink, red, or white patterns atop a bright green base. Some of our favorites are ‘Petra’ croton, Nerve plant, and ‘Luseane Ivory’ schefflera. All three thrive in bright, indirect light and only need to be watered when the soil surface feels dry to the touch.
Enhance Your Style

Enhance Your Style

With more than 200 varieties of Exotic Angel houseplants to choose from, it’s easy to find varieties that mirror your personal style. Here, for example, a Mission Style lamp with a green glass shade shines even brighter when partnered with a Red Prayer plant. This easy-care plant shows off dark green patterned leaves delicately etched with red veins. Its low, spreading habit is ideal for tight spaces like atop this antique oak file cabinet.  Prayer plant thrives in indirect light and at night, the leaves tend to fold together like praying hands. Water whenever the surface of the soil feels dry to the touch.
Explore Color Options

Explore Color Options

Next time you’re shopping for favorite varieties of Exotic Angel plants, look for those that offer a new or different color. Houseplant families such a ivy, begonia, pothos, and philodendron come in a variety of colors that you may never have seen before.  In my case, this happened when I was first introduced to Arrowhead plant. I was familiar with the common green variety, but had no idea they also came in pink, burgundy, cream, white, and bi-color. Plus, talk about easy, arrowhead plant is almost impossible to kill and can be easily pruned to stay small or allowed to ramble into a vigorous vine.
Celebrate with Plants

Celebrate with Plants

Do you have a big celebration coming up? Maybe you’re hosting a baby shower or an anniversary party and you want to make it a memorable occasion. Well why not give Exotic Angel plants as living party favors? They’re long lasting, inexpensive, and small enough to be easily totable. Here, an English-style harvest basket was packed with a dozen cheerful plants and used as a centerpiece for an outdoor garden party. As each guest departed they were invited to take home a plant of their choice.
Raise Your Sights

Raise Your Sights

Do you have high ceilings or tall windows that could use a bit more flair? If so, consider using hanging baskets brimming with colorful houseplants such as this variegated English ivy. Exotic Angel hanging baskets come in two different sizes and they are packed with trailing varieties that look amazing from above and below. Just make sure they are easy to reach when you have to water. In our house, we just take our baskets down once a week and soak them in the sink. After they drain they go back into place. It’s easy and the plants thrive!