Hilton Carter’s plant styling tips

Hilton Carter’s amassed almost 500,000 Instagram followers with his straightforward plantcare advice and images of his plant-filled home. He started just like every other plant enthusiast, by trial and error. He’s not a trained horticulturist, but an artist and stylist with a love of plants, who’s taught himself how to be a responsible plant parent: “Just treat your plant like a living thing, pay it some attention and it will thrive.”

He’s published several books spreading his love for plants and the way they can change the look and feel of your home. His latest, Wild Creations, is packed with projects from how to plant up a terrarium to creating a plant chandelier (you’ll need a canoe).

We asked the master of green interiors for his best styling tips.

Every home should have a hero plant, Carter thinks. “For me, it always starts with the plant that’s going to change the way your home feels instantly: the statement plant,” he says. “Like, ‘Woah, there’s a huge cactus, or a tree in the middle of the room!’ Get a plant that’s going to set the tone of your place.”

Carter likes a room that feels enveloped in plants. “Present greenery at every level, as if you’re outside,” he says. “You’re using the floor, you’re using window sills, you’re using hanging plants. By putting plants in all areas of your eyesight you feel completely submerged in plants. It moves your eye from one place to another and makes the space feel more full.” 

To create as many levels as possible, Carter says, “Anything can be a plant stand.” So, while you can use actual plant stands on the floor, you can also use tables and other objects to create height on surfaces. “Stack a few books and put a plant on top of them. Now that’s a plant stand.”

Plants are only half the story. Carter says, “Think about the pot you’re placing it in and how that can tie to the decor of your home, whether that’s the colour of it, the shape, or the texture.”

Carter is a fan of grouping similar plants to create what he calls “scenes”. “I have a window that’s full of cacti, to create like a desert scene. I have an area full of calathea and airplants to create a little jungle scene. Not only does it set the tone for that little area, I also know that all the plants in that area need the same care.”

Wild Creations by Hilton Carter, published by CICO Books (£20), is out now