Welcome back to Part 2 of The Ultimate Guide To Houseplants for Your Home. I hope you enjoyed Monday’s instalment, and that you’re ready for more houseplant inspiration to turn your homes into perfect tranquil green oasis. Don’t worry if you missed Part 1, you can find it here.
There are, of course, thousands of plants that we can choose to adorn our homes with, but as with Part 1, I’ve stuck with only Easy Care Plants for this guide. I’ve done this because a lot of us don’t have a lot of time on our hands, and if your new to plants or have had little success in the past, you’ll want to be successful at keeping them alive.
So without further ado, and any more ramblings from myself, let’s continue…..
PLANTS BY ROOM
Part 1, helped you choose plants by their climate, but you may want to choose the correct plant by room. I’ve chosen three spaces that plants really love, but you can, of course, position plants anywhere in your homes, and if you revert back to Monday’s post you can choose them by light and climate. Again, I’ve chosen a few for each space to get you started.
BATHROOM
Image Pinterest
Bathrooms today are more than just places to wash, they’ve become our own personal retreats and we’re indulging in spending more time in them to unwind so they’re the perfect place to include some greenery goodness. Bathroom spaces are typically are warm, and humid areas, which means you need to be careful when choosing what houseplant will enjoy this type of habitat.
With bathrooms erring on the small side, size can also be an issue. Try to buy plants that aren’t going to take up too much space. Maybe think along the lines of hanging them from the ceiling, or positioning on a shelf, or windowsill. As with most things we choose for our homes, scale and proportion are important. If you’re fortunate to have a large bathroom, you can really go to town and indulge in some larger plants.
Ferns
Image – Architectureartdesigns
Ferns love humidity so the bathroom or kitchen are the best spaces for them. The Boston fern shown above is the most popular fern to choose from. Boston ferns are very good at absorbing toxins, particularly formaldehyde found in some newly manufactured furniture. Asparagus, Staghorn, and Bird’s Nest are other varieties of ferns that do well in bathrooms too.
Care: Best placed on a saucer of wet pebbles and mist daily or as often as possible. It will tolerate low light levels but prefers a brighter spot, but not direct sunlight.
Orchids
Image – Freshdesignpedia
There was a time that orchids were an expensive plant to buy, but now due to popularity, they’re so much cheaper. Adding an orchid to your bathroom will help create a luxury feel to it with this elegant flowering plant. It’s one of my favourites, and I’ve always had them in my kitchen and bathrooms. There are a number to choose from, but Phalaenopsis are the most popular choice of orchids.
As someone who is always on the go, and has little time, the orchids I own are the easiest of out of all the plants I have to look after. In fact, as long as you have them in the correct environment, ie., humid and warm, they can be subjected to a little neglect without ending up in the bin.
Care: Place in a light spot, but no long-term exposure to bright sunlight. Regular, moderate watering ideally using boiled and cooled water. (Mine have survived on tap water for 5 years and still flower). If you position this plant elsewhere in your home say a living room, you will need to mist the plant to provide it with some humidity, avoiding the flower heads. You should feed your Orchid fertiliser every 14 days. (I’m guilty of not having fed mine and they still flower). Cut back stems after flowers fade to just below node which produced the first flower. Given the right conditions, Phalaenopsis can flower for months on end.
Dieffenbachia
Image – Decomag
BEDROOM
Image – Pinterest
If you’re going to buy a plant for your home, then I’d highly recommend buying one for your bedroom. Plants in the bedroom have been proven to help promote a good nights sleep whilst removing toxins from the air and providing us with oxygen whilst we sleep.
The following additional plants are also great for bedroom spaces……
- Peace Lily – (See under Cool & Dark Spaces – Part 1 here )
- Spider Plant – (See under Kitchen spaces below)
- Mother In Law’s Tongue – (See under Warm & Sunny Spaces – Part 1 – here )
Bamboo Palm
Image – Latreehouse
The bamboo palm is also known as a reed palm. This small plant is a fantastic air purifier, helping you enjoy a fantastic night’s sleep.
Care: Keep the soil moist (but not wet) and place the plant in indirect sunlight.
Gerbera
Image – Maison
Gerbera plants have the ability to kill bacteria creating a healthy environment in our homes. They also release oxygen at night, helping you get a good nights sleep. Although its tough to get them to reflower, see them more as a temporary flowering plant rather than as a long-term. They are particularly great if you suffer from allergies. Gerbera plants come in a multitude of colours so there should be one to suit every decor.
Care: Water the plant (underneath) whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Place in a bright spot but not direct sunlight. provide enough bright light to keep your plant happy.
KITCHEN
Image Britco
Apart from growing herbs (if you’re a keen cook), there are plants that thrive in humid and warm conditions of kitchens. Try and keep the size of the plant on the small side as kitchens tend to be busy places, and you don’t want to be fighting for space to put down your saucepans. Instead think shelves, hanging pots or windowsills to add a bit of green goodness to what is often the heart of the home.
Spider Plant
Image – Thejungalow
Spider plants are one of the most adaptable and easy to grow houseplants. Native to tropical Africa, they look great grown in a hanging basket or on a shelf. The spider plant is on NASA’s list of air purifier plants, and it’s non-toxic to pets.
Care: The spider plant tolerates a range of light and temperature changes. Its variegated leaves benefit from plenty of light near a window, although not direct sunlight. It is sensitive to overwatering so allow the compost to dry out a little between waterings.
Pothos
Image – Delrayplants
This tough houseplant originates from Southeast Asia. It’s one of the best indoor plants for cleaning the air. Pothos absorbs odours, which is why they are popular in restaurants.
Care: Pothos like bright light (not direct sunlight). If kept in lower light it may start to lose its yellow in the leaf. They like to have their soil dry out completely between waterings. A good indicator of when it needs watering is when it starts to droop. Pothos efficiently removes airborne toxins such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. (Keep away from pets and kids)
Aloes
Image – Jenbosen
Known as the plant of immortality because it’s hard to kill, the aloe vera that can be a very useful plant to have around, especially in the kitchen. It can provide immediate relief for burns, (including sunburn), just break off a leaf, rub it onto your skin or alternatively squeeze the gel from it and rub it in. And don’t worry if you break a leaf or two off the plant won’t die, it just callouses over and will go on to produce more leaves.
Care: Loves a sunny spot, but will do fine in areas with indirect sunlight. Water when the soil has completely dried out usually once 1-2 weeks, less during the winter months.
TOP PLANT TIPS
Finally, I’ve compiled 10 Top Plant Tips that you may find useful. If you’re into Pinterest, you can always pin this to refer to at a later date.
I’ll leave you with a proverb I came across years ago, and one that has remained with me to this day. And, although it refers to flowers, to me flowers and houseplants are one of the same.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend whoever you are!
Until next time……
Maria
PIN FOR LATER…..
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