Erin Whaley, director of operations at Oasis Plant Shop, grew up in the quintessential plant lady environment. “Back in the ’70s and ’80s, everyone’s mom or grandma had a golden pothos hanging from a macramé hanger in their house,” Whaley says.
“But you know those old pictures you find in the family photo album with a plant hanging from every corner of the room? That’s exactly what my house was like. Both of my parents had a green thumb. That’s where it all started.”
Today, Whaley meets and greets customers from all over the country. “Being in the Bishop Arts District, we have a lot of foot traffic. Our loyal customers come in and talk with us about everything from mixing their own soil to all the rare plants we get in. Then we have those first-time plant people who want a starter plant. We get all walks of life every day,” she says.
So why are we all so drawn to plants? What do they add to a home? “Life,” Whaley answers. “You can go into any home without plants, and it just feels kind of stale or stagnant. Right when you put just one plant — even if it’s a little 4-inch plant on the countertop — it immediately warms up the space. Just one or two plants can make a big impact.”
As a matter of fact, the Oasis motto reads: Bring life to your space. Here’s Whaley’s take on how to add interest to your home using the transformative power of plants.
Find a happy place. While hundreds of plants thrive in an indoor setting, Whaley recommends indoor tropicals, such as pothos ivy and dracaenas. But philodendrons top her list. “There are hundreds of varieties, and they all have different leaf shapes and colors. But you generally care for them the same, so that makes it easy.”
When choosing plants to welcome home, first consider the type of lighting you have and that all-important window space. Some plants, such as a ZZ plant or a snake plant, tolerate low light and happily hang out in darker corners. “But everyone’s going to prefer the window seat,” Whaley notes.
So decide which plants will get that prime real estate. “Think about a cute little tropical plant, like pothos,” she suggests. “They’re the perfect windowsill plants for your kitchen. You just want to look at them while you wash dishes.”
Some plants make for real living room showstoppers. “If you want a big statement piece for your home and have a well-lit spot, I always recommend a bird of paradise,” Whaley says of the showy tropical plants typically seen in places like Southern California or Florida.
Another favorite is the fiddle-leaf fig. With all the drama of its big, heavily veined glossy leaves comes some high maintenance in terms of its susceptibility to plant pests and diseases. “But they are stunning,” Whaley says, “so that’s another really popular plant for a big area like a living room or den.”
Mix and match. When you’re designing a room, an eclectic palette of colors, textures and patterns work together to create the right look. The same rings true for plant arrangements.
“I love mixing colors. If you’re going to do a bundle or a corner with two or three plants, I like to have something with some height, with a big, wide waxy leaf. Then we’ll throw in a short, dark leaf to give a different variety of texture and color when we’re styling a home,” Whaley shares.
She tends to stick with the odd-number rule, typically opting for a bundle of three plants. A favorite mix-up includes a bird of paradise, a rubber plant and something called a jungle boogie philodendron. “You’ve got the tall, wide leaf with the bird of paradise, then the shorter, dark leaf rubber plant plus the serrated edges of the jungle boogie. They all take bright, indirect light, so that’s a really nice combo.”
Pick your pots and planters. When it comes to potting your plants, a container’s aesthetic comes into consideration. Whaley sticks with white, gray and black for modern homes, but good old-fashioned terra cotta never goes out of style. “The clay is porous, so it helps the soil to dry out quickly and not retain too much moisture,” she says.
At Oasis, they’re big fans of good drainage, so that means never putting a plant in a container with no drain hole. They often leave a plant in its grow pot and drop it into a modern cylinder or decorative basket.
Handle with care. So how do you know when your plants need a little extra attention — or a little less water? (“The number one way to kill your houseplant is by overwatering it or letting the soil stay too wet,” Whaley says.)
Your plant will tell you what it needs. “Plants like pothos ivy or dieffenbachia can be somewhat dramatic. When they don’t get enough water, their leaves will start to curl or droop,” Whaley explains. “You never want your plants to get to the point of looking floppy or wilted. That puts a lot of stress on the plant.” Overwatering typically causes leaves to turn yellow and fall off en masse, but don’t give up on a plant with just one or two yellowing leaves.
When there’s cause for concern, Oasis customers turn to the store’s Instagram page, asking “What’s going on with my plant?” Troubleshooting starts with the usual culprits: How often are you watering? How much? Does your pot have a drain hole? Do you notice anything on the leaves of your plants that could be indicative of pests or disease?
Sometimes, when a diagnosis eludes them, Oasis will ask the customer to bring in the plant to get checked out in person. Other times, staffers make house calls for a nominal fee.
Get growing. With so many plant options, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of choices, but Whaley simplifies things. “If you’re a first-time plant buyer, I always recommend a snake plant. There are so many different varieties of sansevieria. You don’t have to just get the typical upright mother-in-law’s tongue. Fernwood mikado has a cool texture. They’re great for beginners.”
She also recommends philodendron cordatum for those looking for a hanging plant to sit on the side of a shelf and vine down. “It’s super low maintenance, and you can put it anywhere in your home. I always want to set people up with success when they’re first-time plant people.”
What’s trending now at Oasis Plant Shop
Is it time to say farewell to the fiddle-leaf fig? While Whaley admits she still loves them, the fiddle-leaf fig’s place in the sun may be coming to an end. That, along with indoor olive trees. “Believe it or not, they were really trendy even though you’re never going to see them really fruit indoors,” she says.
Moving into this new season, it’s the dracaena marginata — “marge” for short — that’s stealing the show with its sword-like, red-edged leaves. But there’s a special request from Oasis customers. “People don’t want the perfect ones straight from the greenhouse,” Whaley says. “I keep getting asked for these older, grown out ones that have probably been living in poor lighting conditions for 15 years. It’s not like the typical manicured plant that has been popular. They look really unique.”
A plant for every room
Add a little life to different rooms in your home with these recommendations from Whaley. Her one caveat: “No matter where you want to put a plant, be sure you’re putting it in the correct lighting!”
- Kitchen: “I love propagations in glass bottles on a windowsill or colorful succulents — something to take your mind off washing dishes.”
- Bedroom: “Pothos, sansevieria and ZZ are great bedroom options as they are air purifiers.”
- Bathroom: “If you have a well-lit bathroom, we like ferns or air plants. They love humidity!”
- Kids’ rooms: “For a child’s room, I would stay away from any toxic plants and stick with ferns, hoya or peperomia.”