Essential Spring Tips for Indoor Plants & Elevating Your Plant Decor with Tiny Treehouses

The Magic of Spring Renewal There is no better season than Spring to get stuck back into your houseplants. Spring is the ultimate time for trimming, pruning, and repotting to stimulate the new season of growth.

If your Tiny Treehouse seems to be hidden behind overgrown leaves or dangling from an ungainly branch, it's time to bring out the pruning scissors and a repotting mat. The founder and designer of Tiny Treehouses, Lars Wijers, came up with the concept of these magical 3D wooden puzzles specifically for his houseplants—a creative extension of his plant passion.

In this Spring edition of our houseplant tips, Lars takes you through his favourite plants that thrive indoors and look spectacular when paired with our DIY model kits. Whether you are looking for fresh plant decor ideas or vital seasonal care advice, this guide will help you nurture your indoor jungle.

Lars’s Top Plant Decor Choices for the Spring Season Styling Tiny Treehouses for your plants requires finding the perfect botanical host. Here are Lars's top spring recommendations:

• Calathea (Calathea spp.): Known for striking patterned leaves in shades of green and purple, Calathea thrives in the increased humidity of spring. They dynamically move their leaves towards the light, making this bold, ornamental foliage a beautiful choice for adding visual interest to any space. Pairing idea: The intricate details of the Temple of Gratitude.

• Oxalis, or False Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis): With its deep purple, clover-shaped leaves and delicate pink or white flowers, Oxalis is a unique addition. It opens its leaves in the daylight and closes them at night. Keep them out of harsh, direct sunlight to prevent leaf scorch. Pairing idea: The Summer Pavilion.

• Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum): A true representation of spring renewal, featuring bright, green-striped leaves. It’s great for hanging baskets or shelves, extending your greenery as the leaves organically grow through the space. Pairing idea: The Forest Cottage.

• Ferns: Varieties like Maidenhair, Bird’s Nest, and Button Ferns thrive in humid spring conditions. Their lush, feathery fronds add a soft, natural texture, making them ideal for bathrooms or humid areas. Pairing idea: The Woodland Outpost.

• African Violet (Saintpaulia): Compact, flowering plants that bloom in vibrant purples, pinks, and whites. They thrive in bright, indirect light and add a soft, delicate touch to your indoor plant decor. Pairing idea: Horizons Edge.

Let's Take a Closer Look

Calathea (Calathea spp.)

Known for its striking patterned leaves in various shades of green and purple, Calathea is a plant that thrives in the increased humidity of spring. They will move their leaves towards the light. The bold, ornamental foliage make this plant a beautiful choice for adding texture and visual interest to any space.

 

Oxalis, or False Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis)

Oxalis, with its deep purple, clover-shaped leaves and delicate pink or white flowers, is a unique addition to any spring plant collection. It opens its leaves in the daylight and closes them at night, adding a dynamic and interactive element to your home. It is best not to place them in direct harsh sunlight as their leaves will scorch easily.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)

Spring is a season of renewal, and the Spider Plant represents that with its bright, green-striped leaves and ability to propagate easily. It’s great for hanging baskets or shelves, extending your greenery as the leaves grow organically through the space. 

Ferns 

Ferns, including popular varieties like Maidenhair Fern, Bird’s Nest Fern and Button Fern, thrive in the humid conditions of spring. Their lush, feathery fronds add vibrant greenery and a soft, natural texture to any space. Ferns flourish in indirect light and higher moisture levels, making them ideal for bathrooms or areas with increased humidity. With their graceful appearance, ferns bring a fresh, rejuvenating vibe indoors, perfectly capturing the spirit of spring renewal.

African Violet (Saintpaulia)

African Violets are compact, flowering plants that bloom in vibrant purples, pinks, and whites during spring. They thrive in bright, indirect light and add a soft, delicate touch to your indoor decor.

Top Tips for Spring Houseplant Care

Spring is the growing season for plants. For most of winter many plants will go into a kind of growth hibernation. Ahead of Spring and during Spring it is a good time for pruning, re-potting plants and regularly adding fertiliser - and water of course - to really nurture this growth spurt

 

1. Increase Watering Gradually - As days get longer and warmer, your plants will start to grow more actively. Slowly increase watering to match the new growth patterns, but always check soil moisture first.
2. Re-pot When Needed - Spring is the ideal time to repot any plants that have outgrown their containers. Fresh soil provides essential nutrients and space for roots to expand.
3. Fertilise for Growth - Plants need more nutrients as they come out of dormancy. Begin a regular fertilising schedule to give your plants the energy they need for the growing season.
4. Clean and Dust Leaves - With more active growth, ensure your plants are absorbing enough light by cleaning any dust off their leaves. Dust-free leaves will also photosynthesise more efficiently.
5. Trim and Shape - Get out your clippers and prune any leggy or uneven growth to encourage bushier and healthier plants. This is the perfect time to shape your plants for the season ahead.

LIGHT IT UP - LIGHTING OPTIONS FOR YOUR TINY TREEHOUSES

Finally, make your plant decor truly magical by illuminating your models with the included battery-operated LED lights or our add-on USB powered lights, or solar lights, or USB lights with a timer. So many choices!

Every Treehouse comes with battery operated LED lights (requiring 2 x CR2032 batteries which are not included due to international shipping requirements) however, we also sell an easy to use which you can purchase as an add on.

How do I Choose Which Lighting Option?

Stick with the LED Battery Lights if:

• You need reliable lighting indoors or in shaded areas
• You want brighter or more focused light for a short event or display
• You need flexibility with timing or manual control
• You're building a Tiny Treehouse display inside a shelf, nook, or terrarium

Choose Solar Lights If:

• You want a set-and-forget your Treehouse lighting

• Your Tiny Treehouse is on an enclosed a balcony or a sunny windowsill

• You're looking for a low-maintenance, eco-friendly choice

• You want to use your Tiny Treehouse outside (make sure to varnish it first!)

Try the USB cabled LED light if:

• Your Tiny Treehouse is within 1.5m of a power source - this could be a plug point, your computer, or even a power bank - being able to go battery-free will be handy
• You're building a Tiny Treehouse display inside a shelf or a nook where it will be hard to reach a switch to turn them on and off, so with the USB option they can be left on, or controlled more remotely
• USB lights are definitely the way to go if your Treehouses are far from a natural light source, but you like to have them light up constantly or very often.

For Extra Effect & Effortless Management - Consider The USB Lights With a Timer

This will enable you to schedule your lighting for when it suits you and make sure your Tiny Treehouse is always lit up just when you want it to be, but not when you are away from home.

• Built-in timer settings: 6H / 9H / 12H

• 20 warm white LED bulbs

• Total length: 2.5m

• Includes 1.5m USB power cord

Lighting is the ultimate final touch on any Tiny Treehouses to bring that warmth and glow, not just to the Tiny Treehouse, but also to the space you place it in, or the plant it nestles in.

LARS' TOP HOUSEPLANT BUYS 

Here's a summary of Lars’s top houseplant accessories & upgrades to keep your indoor garden and your Tiny Treehouses looking pristine.

For Plant Care:

• Microfiber Gloves: Makes cleaning leaves super easy, allowing plants to breathe better for a happy, healthy plant.

• Repotting Mat: Essential for apartment living! It keeps soil off your floors and your workspace tidy.

• Pruning Scissors: Don't rip dead leaves and damage the living plant. Use decorative pruning scissors to trim wayward branches and encourage bushy growth.

• Propagation Vessels: Save money by propagating the plants you already have! Pop a stem in water using vintage glassware or empty candle holders.

• Mesh Pads: Stick these under pots with drainage holes to prevent soil loss and slipping.

• Creeper Plant Clips: Stick-on clips keep climbing plants heading in the right direction without twisting their stems.

Microfiber Gloves

Makes cleaning plants and leaves super easy

Plants will be able to breath better - happy healthy plants

Repotting Mat

A helpful tool if you live in an apartment and you don’t have a potting station. This mat keeps the soil off your floors and keeps your workspace clean and tidy.

 

Pruning Scissors

It can be tempting to rip dead leaves off your plants but you can damage the living part of the plant. Keep pruning scissors handy and use them often to trim away dead leaves and wayward branches to encourage a bushier plant. These ones are quite decorative, so they won't look out of place as part of your home decor.

 

 

Propagation Vessels 

Most plants can be propagated, so once you have a few plants collected, there should be little need to keep spending money buying more plants. You just need to propagate the ones you have. Use any vessels you have such as vintage glassware, empty candle holders and science equipment to pop a stem in water and let the roots grow.

Mesh Pads

These Mesh Pads can be stuck under plant pots that have drainage holes to prevent soil loss and slipping.

Creeper Plant Clips

To keep your climbing plants heading in the right direction and prevent you from twisting the stems to attach them to something, these stick-on clips can be a great addition for your climbing plants.

Final Thoughts

Spring is my favourite time for potting. The warm sunshine and flowering plants outdoors always inspire me to refresh my indoor plants, giving them the nutrition and care they naturally get in the great outdoors so they can bloom to their full potential heading into summer.

*Note: Commission can be earned on some of these plant care tool recommendations, however, these are genuine recommendations and not sponsored placements.