House plants take over at RHS Garden Wisley in new exhibition

RHS Garden Wisley's new Giant Houseplant Takeover began this week, with the Glasshouse becoming an exhibition for quirky and creative houseplant planting.

The exhibition runs between 25 January to 1 March and is themed around an abandoned Victorian house which has been overrun by houseplants. Palms grow in an armchair and giant ferns take a bath.

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© RHS/Luke MacGregor

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© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

© RHS/Luke MacGregor

It is hoped that the exhibition will fuel creative and inventive ideas for house plant enthusiasts and consists of six rooms, each showing different kinds of houseplants.

Including exhibits of huge spider plants (Chlorophytum) and devil's ivy (Epipremnum), you can also see how a banana plant has swamped a corner and burst through the roof.

The exhibition features an avenue of terrarium plants as well as air plants and giant orchid and flamingo flower. Emma Allen, garden manager said: "We want to encourage people to be bolder with their houseplants and let their imaginations run riot.
"Houseplants don’t need to sit in a neat pot. You can grow them in cups, teapots, bottles and even from the middle of chairs - they will always add beauty and joy to your home. As long as you give them right surroundings and nutrients, they will flourish.”

House plant sales at RHS Garden Wisley have risen by 62 per cent this year. Some of the most popular include elephants ears (Alocasia) for which sales have increased tenfold, (particularly Alocasia zebrina with its zebra-like striped stem) and prayer plants (Calathea) with over 1,300 sold this year so far.