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Horticulture Principles and Practices

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Window Displays<br />

Plants in windows enhance the room decor. Since light enters the house primarily<br />

through windows, the selection of plants to use should consider the position of the windows,<br />

the plant sensitivity to light, <strong>and</strong> the plant size. While south-facing windows<br />

receive sunlight year-round, north-facing windows receive the least amount of light,<br />

especially during the winter. North-facing windows favor foliage plants such as<br />

aspidistra <strong>and</strong> sansevieria. Desert cacti do well in unshaded south-facing windows.<br />

Fragrance<br />

Certain plants exude sweet scents that freshen the indoor atmosphere. For example,<br />

scented pelargonium has a pleasant fragrance.<br />

Direct Traffic<br />

Plants can be strategically arranged to steer people away from certain parts of the room<br />

<strong>and</strong> to prevent people from using certain spaces as pathways.<br />

Cover Up Undesirable View<br />

A window garden may be planted to block the view to unattractive areas on the outside.<br />

Plants may be arranged to hide unsightly parts of a room.<br />

Environmental Quality (Air Quality Control)<br />

Certain plants are known to improve the air quality of indoor areas by absorbing contaminants<br />

in the air (Table 11–3). Contaminants include fumes from cleaning solvents,<br />

radon, secondh<strong>and</strong> smoke, furniture, carpeting, <strong>and</strong> ozone from copying machines.<br />

Some of the most effective plants for this purpose are gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum,<br />

golden pothos, <strong>and</strong> Spathiphyllum.<br />

11.2.3 IMPROVING THE DISPLAY OF HOUSEPLANTS<br />

Apart from selecting appropriate plants <strong>and</strong> arranging them effectively in the room, there<br />

are several specific ways in which the display can be enhanced:<br />

1. Use a spotlight to draw attention to conversation pieces or specimen plants<br />

(unique plants that invite conversation). Backlighting enhances the display of<br />

some species such as Boston fern (Nephrolepsis). Certain plants may be<br />

displayed in less-than-ideal conditions with appropriate lighting.<br />

TABLE 11–3<br />

Houseplants that clean the air<br />

Pollutant Sources Plants<br />

Benzene Detergents, gasoline, oils, English ivy, dracaena, chrysanthemum<br />

tobacco smoke, printing inks, gerbera daisy<br />

synthetic fibers<br />

Formaldehyde Carpeting, clothing, furniture, Azalea, palms, chrysanthemum,<br />

foam insulation, household diffenbachia, golden pothos,<br />

cleaners, paper goods,<br />

mother-in-laws tongue, poinsettia,<br />

particle board<br />

spider plant<br />

Trichloroethylene Adhesives, dry-cleaning Chrysanthemums, gerbera daisy,<br />

fluids, lacquers, paints,<br />

dracaena<br />

varnishes<br />

11.2 Using Plants in the Home 351

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