Go Green!

Designers Charlie Groppetti and Todd Smith have an easy suggestion for readying rooms for spring. “Bringing in lots of greenery, in a variety of shades, is a quick way to banish the winter blahs and add a bit of life back into your house,” says Smith. “And you can do that without spending a lot of time or money.”

At their new store, Park Hill Home in North Little Rock, the pair uses old house wares as containers for their spring greens. Enamelware washtubs hold miniature olive trees. Salvaged sinks are turned into planted window boxes. Even unused apothecary jars become lush terrariums.   

“We all get caught up in having something new, and we forget to look around at what we already have,” says Smith. “Vintage items have character, and for the most part, they're one of a kind, since you can't duplicate what time has done to them.”

Using low-maintenance plants ensures that adding greenery doesn't mean taking on extra work. Carefree ivy and ferns are favorites, and the terrariums, if planted correctly, are completely self-sufficient. Smith advises filling the bottom of the container with gravel, adding peat moss as the planting medium and using mood moss as a top dressing. With a thorough watering after planting, it should maintain an adequate moisture level for months.

“Our philosophy is set it and forget it,” says Smith. “You can have fresh plants and still go on vacation.”