If you think gardening is an activity exclusive to those who live in houses with large backyards, urban jungle will surprise you. This decoration trend consists of filling the corners of the apartment with potted plants, with the aim of bringing nature to the city.
In addition to bringing a special color to your home, vegetation also helps to purify the air and ensure a peaceful atmosphere in any room. Likewise, taking care of them is almost therapy and a great way to relax after a stressful day.
So that you can start bringing greenery into your space, we selected care tips, made a list of the best species to plant and also brought more than 30 photos for you to be inspired by. See then everything about urban jungle and transform your apartment into a garden!
Read too: Vertical garden – 30 inspiring models for indoors and outdoors.
What is urban jungle?
Also called urban jungle, the urban jungle it is a response to the urbanization movement. Because of a scarcity of greenery, fresh air and elements of nature in cities, the trend is to bring plants into interior decoration.
The concept has origins in the hippie movement, when the effects of pollution and climate change began to be noticed. It was then necessary to find ways to adjust to the new reality. With vegetation indoors, it is possible to notice not only an atmosphere of tranquility, but also an improvement in air quality.
Furthermore, including gardening in your daily life is a way to take care of your mental health. According to an analysis of studies carried out by ScienceDirect, the advantages of growing plants include reducing stress, controlling anxiety and even preventing depression.
This is because the activity allows you to develop concentration and focus, combating the symptoms of these illnesses and improving good mood and relaxation.
Tips for starting your urban jungle
Have your own urban jungle It’s a way to make your home more beautiful and your mind lighter. But do you know what the first steps are for decorating with plants?
First of all, you need to choose which varieties you are going to grow. Even if your apartment or house doesn’t get any sun, it’s possible to have a well-kept garden. The tip is to choose species for semi-shade. That is, those that, in their natural habitat, would be on the forest floor, protected from light by the treetops.
However, if you want to set up a vegetable garden with spices or don’t give up plants that need direct sun, a good idea is to position them on the balcony or close to the windows.
Once the choice is made, you must find the right place for each element of your urban jungle. Take into account the light and humidity conditions of each space, while using your creativity to create a composition with the vases.
Likewise, don’t forget to think about practical aspects. If you are going to set up your urban jungle on top of wooden furniture, for example, use cups or small plates under the vases to contain excess water. This way, you avoid damaging the surface after watering.
The 12 best plants for urban jungle
With your urban jungle set up, it is essential to water, fertilize and prune each species according to its own needs. Therefore, we have prepared a list of tips for caring for the most popular varieties for urban jungle.
From cacti to boa constrictors
- Cacti: They do well in extreme conditions and like drier soils. Therefore, when preparing your pot, mix coarse sand with the soil to help with drainage. They need a few hours of sunlight a day and ventilated environments. In warmer seasons, watering should be done once a week and, in cold weather, once a month;
- Chlorophyte: This semi-shade plant attracts attention with its long leaves, which can measure up to 30cm. It requires little maintenance, little pruning and watering every three days. Furthermore, use organic fertilizer whenever possible;
- Adam’s Rib: They like bright environments, but not direct sun. Water whenever the soil is dry, use organic fertilizer monthly and prune the largest branches in spring;
- Sword of Saint George: a variety that does well in both direct sun and semi-shade, Espada de São Jorge is considered a protection plant. Requires weekly watering and organic fertilizer once a month;
- Hera: It is great for indoor environments as it improves air quality. You should water your ivy two to three times a week and avoid pruning;
- Boa constrictor: one of the most popular in urban jungles, this climbing plant must be watered every two or three days. You don’t need to prune it, but you can cut off branches that are too long with roots, place them in moist soil and create a new seedling. Fertilize with earthworm humus every three months;
From peace lilies to succulents
- Peace lily: good for moist but not soggy soil. On hotter or drier days, it’s a good idea to spray the leaves with water;
- Marantas from baskets: Because of their colorful leaves, plants from these genera have become popular with decorators. Easy to care for, they need to be in semi-shade and you should water them every time the soil dries out;
- Pacova: A fan of hot, humid environments with indirect light, pacová needs to be watered once or twice and fertilized with organic fertilizer frequently. Thus, guaranteeing its green and bright color;
- Peperomia: position your pot in a shaded environment, water every two days and use NPK 10-10-10 fertilizer every three months to ensure healthy growth;
- Fern: they like mild sunlight and need to receive water, in small quantities, every other day;
- Succulents: They are very popular, as they are easy to care for and the combination of different varieties in the same vase looks beautiful in decoration. Make sure that the plants receive at least a few hours of direct sunlight, that the soil has good drainage and that watering is only done when the soil is dry.
Environments to be inspired
From the balcony to the bathroom, any corner of your house or apartment can become a small forest. Get inspired!
Balconies with vegetation
This is the most common environment to set up your urban jungle, as it is the space that receives the most sun. Bet on mixing vases of different sizes and plants in different shades of green to create a harmonious decor.
Urban jungle in living rooms
Don’t have a balcony, but want to grow species that need direct light to grow well? So, place the vases very close to your living room window.
Placing plants on a rack or shelves is a good way to bring nature into your living room. Just be extra careful with pruning, so that the plants don’t obstruct your TV viewing.
How about combining vegetation with a little color on the walls? In these photos, one room received gradient blue paint and the other, a terracotta triangle.
Touch of green in dining rooms
There’s a way to make mealtime even more enjoyable: create a cozy room to eat surrounded by plants!
Urban jungle kitchens
The cabinets of these two white kitchens gained charm and life with some scattered vases.
Washing dishes in these sinks can’t be that bad with all these little plants to admire! However, if you want to copy the style, prefer species that like humid environments.
Rooms with plants
The headboard and foot of the bed are great for accommodating your urban jungle. After all, these tend to be little-used spaces.
In the following inspirations, one or more shelves full of vases were installed on the wall where the headboard is against.
Do you have a large window in your room? Try placing your vases next to it to take advantage of the light.
Urban jungle in offices
Working or studying is much easier in a home office with a touch of green, right?
Here, the offices that were white gained plants and, with them, life and color!
Plants in bathrooms
It may seem unusual, but a urban jungle It could be just what you need to make your bathroom special. However, it is important to have a window in place to ensure at least indirect light.
By choosing the right species, you can even have plants in the shower stall, at the opposite end of the shower!
Different ideas for urban jungle
Take advantage of every spare corner you have to position your vases. Here, they were placed on top of a wardrobe and even hung over the sofa.
CASACOR is one of the largest art, architecture, landscaping and interior design exhibitions in the Americas. And in this year’s edition, 2023, a recurring theme was inspiration for decorations with plants in the most varied environments.
The exhibition brought ideas on how to include plants in living and dining rooms. Whether next to the sofa or in the corner of the wall, and even varying the vases used.
Another proposal was the presence of plants in the bathroom. The plants here were placed in pots of cooler materials and colors, and positioned around the entire space.
And of course, the outdoor area couldn’t be missed. With varied compositions, CASACOR 2023 featured scenes full of nature that would inspire anyone.
More design tips
Now that you know everything about urban jungle, how about continuing reading interior design articles? Discover what a luxury development looks like inside, do it yourself.
Visit our Decoration page and read all the tips and news about interior design. So, see Macramé for decoration and check out the Before and After of famous people’s homes.
Update made by Maria Esther Cortez.
MC Bin Laden was the 17th eliminated from Big Brother Brasil 2024. Now, there are seven people left in the running for the millionaire prize. Which brother do you think deserves to win the show? Participate in the vote in the Fashion Bubbles poll and check partial results in real time!
