HOUSTON – Jemine Oakes is a floral designer in the Houston area. Along with her husband, Matthew, they started The Flora Culture, a Houston-based interior plant and flower design shop that specializes in curated interior scaping services aiming to inspire novice plant owners and experts alike, by encouraging interior design with nature in mind.
Jemine has always been fascinated by interior design specially with the use of living things from nature. Plants have a positive effect on your mental, emotional, and physical health.
The Oakes created The Flora Culture with the hope to influence the integration of nature's beauty into homes and offices.
9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLORA CULTURE
- All our plants in the shop are in-door/house plants (tropical or desert plants)
- We offer in-home and corporate consultations on interior scaping / interior plant design
- We offer design, specs, and installations of living walls (interior and exterior)
- We offer advise on how to care for your plants, grow them, love them, and help them thrive
- We offer free potting - pick a plant, pick a pot, we will pot it for you (unless you want to get your hands dirty)
- We offer experiential workshops from floral arrangements to learning about propagation, potting classes with kids, etc.
- We do floral design for weddings and events (consults are free)
- The Flora Culture is a small, family-owned business run by husband and wife Matthew and Jemine Oakes.
- Matthew is a horticultural expert and landscape designer and Jemine is a professional floral designer.
REPURPOSE YOUR HOLIDAY WREATH:
Most people toss wreathes in the trash after Christmas. You can save the metal ring and re-purpose it. Get a can of spray paint, use a color that will work with the aesthetic of your space.
AIR PLANT WREATH STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
- Remove old/dead foliage from Christmas wreath (you may need wire cutters)
- Spray paint the round metal piece a color of choice
- Adhere air plants with a glue gun to metal ring (you do not have to cover the entire ring)
- Care for air plants to keep them alive and healthy (water once a week for an hour in a tub/bowl of water, let dry, put back in place)
- Add seasonal decorative items to it throughout the year (ribbons will change up the feel to fit the season)
INTERIOR SCAPING
Interior design with the use of plants (or interior plant design). It is encouraging our innate desires as humans to connect with nature in our daily environment. Our home, and offices, the places where we spend much of our time, should be inviting and comforting. Plants have a way of breathing life into a space (literally and figuratively). Basically, no matter the size of your space, if you have some sunlight, you can have a plant, and that changes everything. Various studies have shown that indoor plants can boost your mood, reduce stress, positively affect your mental health, and affect your physical health by cleaning the air by absorbing toxins and releasing oxygen into the air.
INTERIOR SCAPING GENERAL TIPS:
- Consider your family dynamic – some plants are not recommended for homes with children or pets
- Consider the sunlight available in various spaces – some plants love direct, indirect or low light. And there are some options for spaces with little to no light as well.
- Consider your space – Floor space is sometimes hard to find in smaller spaces. In these instances, you can get creative with options like hanging planters, wall planters or even living walls.
- Consider your personality – Try to find a plant that fits your care “personality” whether that is a plant that is low maintenance or requires a little more love.
- Talk to an expert if you don’t know where to start – that’s why the Flora Culture is here! We’ll talk about your space, guide you through the process and will even come out to your space to design.
HOUSTON LIFE SPECIAL OFFER
Mention “Houston Life” when you visit The Flora Culture and get 25% off any air plant for the month of January, 2020. Get started on your air plant collection!
For more information, click here.