If I had been writing two years ago, I can honestly say this would not be a topic I would write about. I was the person who believed that any plant I had would just die. So, for the longest time I refused to take the leap. However, I always felt that something was missing in my home. I love nature and I love to be out in nature, experiencing the different smells, colors, and taking note on how the light filters down from above through tree branches and leaves. I feared bringing that into my home. If not for a friend who needed to part with some of her plants, I do not know if I would even be writing this post.
Plants are a wonderful accent to include in your home. They are not only beneficial for aesthetic purposes, they bring with them a better quality of life for you and your family. Not all plants will be right for you, so it is important to do a little research before going out and buying the first lovely potted plant that you find. If you take a moment to do that research, you will be thrilled to find all the different options available for you and for your experience (or lack of experience in my case). Do not let a little inexperience prevent you from being open to using live plants in your home. Let it drive you to learn how to care for them. It is extremely rewarding to care for plants and watch them thrive. It can also be frustrating as well, especially if you do not make sure to choose the right plant for you. Now, you can always use faux plants in your home if you do not want to have to worry about caring for plants. I understand that everyone has different work loads, family lives, and home lives. Live plants are not right for everyone, however, I strongly encourage those who have not given them a chance and are thinking about it, to go for it! I was someone who could not keep a succulent alive, to someone who has rescued plants and brought them back to life. Keep reading to learn about some different options of plants that might be right for you. Plants have so many benefits for us that faux plants cannot possibly provide, so I urge everyone to give them a chance. Or even second chance. Keep in mind, this list is tiny compared to the options available, so if you are ready to dive into plant life, make sure to do a little research before making any purchases.
The first plant I want to introduce is the chrysanthemum. I chose it because it is an option that comes in many different colors and therefore can be used to add a splash of color to a space. These can be grown as potted plants or included into your outdoor garden. They do require full sun to thrive, as too little will cause them to bloom less and have weaker stems. I love these because they rate highly for air purification, so it is a natural way to create a better air quality in your home. They have been shown to eliminate common toxins and ammonia. They need flowers in order for this added benefit, so make sure that when purchasing to get a fresh pot. They are a perennial so they will come back in the spring. As long as you provide them fertilizer during the growing season, they will bloom beautiful flowers. Especially if they are potted chrysanthemums. One fault is that they are toxic to animals, so if you have pets in your home make sure that they cannot be reached by your fur baby. If you have cats, it might be best to stay away from these plants as anyone with cats knows that despite your best efforts, they have a knack for getting into all sorts of trouble.
The next plant I have included is the bamboo palm. These tall leafy plants can add a tropical feel to your room and are known for air purification as well. In an era of a lot of different air pollutions, we can benefit from these plants. They are known for eliminating formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, xylene and chloroform. They also will put out moisture into the air, making them wonderful to have in the winter months, when the air is dry from the forced air heating systems many of us have in our homes. Bamboo palms prefer indirect light and shade, as they are plants that naturally grow on the forest floor. They are low maintenance houseplants, which makes them ideal for someone with a less green thumb. They like to have moist soil, so they do need watered more frequently than others. Allow the top of the soil to dry out between watering, so that you do not accidentally over water. These plants rarely need pruning but it does not hurt to clean up dried up leaves or leaf tips to keep it looking its absolute best. My favorite part about these plants is that they are non toxic, so you do not have to worry about having one around your pets and children. Overall, they have so many positive benefits to your home, in addition to adding a little green to your color palette.
Next, peace lilies are a lovely addition to think about introducing to your home. Another air purifier, peace lilies are known for eliminating formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia. They are an easy to care for plant that brings added color and beauty to your space. They are useful for filling empty corners in your home, especially since they do not require a ton of light. Peace lilies will even tell you when they want water; just keep your eyes open for them to droop, which is their way of saying they would like some water. Before you know it, the leaves will perk back up! I have witnessed this many a time and have found that I love knowing that I am making my plants happier because they tell me so. Not all plants will, so having one that says "thank you" by standing proud after watering gives me a sense of joy. Make sure to have your peace lily in a container with a lot of drainage to prevent root rot. Peace lilies will bloom in the spring and once the bloom fades, you can cut it at the base. Some very happy peace lilies will even bloom again in the fall. Unfortunately, peace lilies are mildly toxic to children and pets, so make sure to keep it out of reach and to wash your hands after handling. (Honestly I wash my hands before and after handling my plants. I do not want to transfer anything to them and vice versa, regardless if they are labeled toxic or not!) A peace lily is a wonderful addition to any home. They make great gifts as they are easy to care for, so by providing someone with a peace lily as a gift, you are not burdening them. You are giving them a plant that will give back many benefits to its owner.
Orchids are more temperamental than the others in this list, but they can give you beautiful blooms that will fill your home with color if you care for them properly. I purchased an orchid as a whim while shopping at Ikea. I was surprised Ikea even had live plants let alone had ones that were thriving. I assumed since they were alive and well at Ikea, that they would be simple to care for. I learned a lot about them afterwards, as mine did not thrive right away. (It did not die either! So, not all hope was lost.) Orchids require little water and they do not need direct sunlight. If you understand their needs, they are easy to care for. If you do want I did and purchase them with zero research, then they are a little more difficult. A tip for anyone who goes for orchids is this: do not repot them when they are in bloom. I wish someone had stopped me, as that is a very good way to make your orchid very unhappy and drop its flowers early. Wait until their blooms fade before repotting. When in bloom, also make sure to provide them with fertilizer made for orchids, in order to have the healthiest orchid. A healthy, happy orchid means colorful blooms to fill your home with. Once the growing season is over, you just have to maintain the orchid until its next bloom. This is also the time to repot. To promote new buds, snip off the old flower spike after it fades. It took over a year for me to finally research why my orchid was dormant. But, now that it is getting the care it actually wants (vs the care I thought it wanted) it has bloomed and provided me with amazing flowers to fill my home. The orchid has a bit of a temper when it does not get what it wants, but will provide you with lovely color when it does.
The spider plant has a bit of a creepy, crawly name but it makes for a beautiful hanging plant to incorporate, with its long cascading leaves that will spill perfectly over a hanging basket. Spider plants are named after the offshoots that grow from the mother plant, which have a spider like appearance. They are easy to care for, and prefer indirect light. They will even do well in heavy shade and low light; they will grow slower in these conditions so will require less pruning. You can easily grow new plants from it as well, by snipping off the tiny plants that form off the mother plant. You can taking those clippings and replant for more spider plants to have or to share with family and friends. Spider plants are among the most popular for indoor plants, as they will survive in conditions that are less than perfect. Therefore, anyone who is afraid of having live plants or is known for killing plants, will have an easier time of keeping them alive. They will be ok if you happen to miss a weekly watering or if you keep them in a place that does not have direct sunlight. I love these for apartments or townhouses that are attached on both sides, leaving the only natural light at the front and the back of the home. You can still easily grow spider plants in these homes will less windows, because they do not need to sit directly in them or close by. They will survive just fine away from the windows. Like many of the others, spider plants will remove air pollution from your home. Faux plants definitely have nothing on these! Spider plants are nontoxic, however, they do attract cats so if you do not want your feline friend to chew on them, keep them up and out of reach. They can still give your cat an upset stomach if eaten, and spider plants tend to give off an undetectable scent to the human nose, that attracts cats to them. It is a good thing they are plants that we can hang out of reach! Just make sure there are no objects around your pet can use to jump off to reach the plant. Besides that, they pose no risk and have many benefits for you and your family.
This list of five barely scratches the surface on plants we can include in our home decor. House plants are the forgotten leftover for many designs, but they fulfill so many important factors for our health. They remove toxins from the air for a better air quality in our homes while giving us beautiful views. They give us a purpose and can provide a sense of well being and importance when they are thriving. I swear plants have personalities and that they respond to us as we respond to them. I joke that my plants get lonely when I am not home, or they are lonely when separated. Plants provide me with a sense of joy and fulfillment that I think many will find beneficial. I do not include them purely for aesthetic reasons; they have so many added benefits that it seems silly not to include them (even with two cats that I must keep them safe from). The day I brought my first plant home (named Little P), my life was forever changed and now I am thrilled with my little collection that I lovingly care for, as they also care for me.
Colleen Arlet
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