The owner has just sent a phalaenopsis orchid aboard as a gift from a shipyard visit, the chef wants live basil and mint on the galley windowsill, and the yacht is going into a four-week yard period with no crew aboard. All three of those things are your problem, and none of them are cut flowers.
Living Plants Onboard
Plants are a long game: they cost less over a season than cut flowers and they survive passages. They also die slowly and visibly if neglected.
| Plant | Light | Water | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phalaenopsis orchid | Bright, indirect. Never direct sun | Soak roots weekly, drain fully | Roots must never sit in water; silver-green roots mean thirsty, mushy brown means rotted |
| Succulents, sansevieria, ZZ plant | Tolerant of low light | Sparingly, let dry out | The most crew-proof plants on a yacht |
| Ficus, palms, monstera | Bright, indirect | Steady; check the top 2 cm | Need securing in a seaway; leaves need dusting |
| Galley herbs (basil, mint, thyme) | Bright, some direct sun | Frequent; never let basil wilt | Pick from the top; keep out of the AC blast |
- Overwatering kills more plants onboard than drought. Always check the growing medium first.
- Drainage is non-negotiable: a decorative cachepot with no drainage will rot the roots. Water the plant in its inner pot, in the sink, and let it drain fully before returning it.
- Humidity: AC air is very dry. Group plants, use pebble trays, mist orchids lightly — but never mist into an air-conditioned draught or onto open flowers.
- Feeding: a weak balanced feed in the growing season only. Orchids get orchid feed, weakly, weekly, and none in winter.
- Pests: check leaf undersides for scale, mealybug and spider mite. One infested plant from a market will spread through the interior.
- Yard periods and passages: brief the crew who stay, or move plants ashore. Nothing survives four weeks in a shut-down, unairconditioned interior.
Artificial and Preserved Alternatives
- Preserved (glycerined) foliage, dried grasses, preserved eucalyptus and preserved roses last months, tolerate motion and heat, and are legitimate on a well-run yacht — especially for long passages, yard periods, exterior positions and heads.
- High-quality silk or real-touch artificials can be acceptable in fixed positions where fresh flowers cannot survive. Cheap artificials are not. They read as cheap instantly, and they undermine everything else in the interior.
- The rule: artificials are never acceptable on the dining table or in the master cabin during a charter or an owner trip, unless the owner has specifically chosen them.
Records
- Photograph every arrangement in position, in good light. Build a folder by position, by season and by trip.
- Record what the owner liked and disliked, which varieties lasted, what the stems cost and where you bought them.
- Log supplier contacts by port — the wholesaler in Palma, the market in Bodrum, the agent in Antigua. This is the single most valuable document you can hand to the next interior team.
Onboard Notes
- If the owner sends flowers or a plant aboard as a gift, it is kept alive and it is placed where they will see it. Losing an owner gift is remembered.
- Preference sheets and arrangement photos belong in the interior handover file, not on a personal phone that leaves the yacht with you.