Start the new year with a new houseplant and a healthier, greener home. Houseplants not only add beauty indoors, they improve the health of our environments. By releasing oxygen and decreasing dust and pollutants in the air they remove contaminants and help us to fight colds. The peaceful zen feeling they bring helps us to reduce stress.
These are some of our favorite houseplants:
1. Croton – There are many different varieties of Croton in different foliage color combinations. It has large leaves with exotic color patterns. The most popular is ‘Petra’ which has shades of yellow, red, and green.This has long been a favorite houseplant for adding a punch of color. Crotons will survive in low to high light spots in your home but they will show more color when you place them in a brighter spot. Water regularly as soil becomes dry.
2. ZZ plant – With its tall succulent stems and architectural structure, this plant is a favorite for homes with modern decor. It requires very little maintenance and is nearly indestructable. Place it in medium to high light watering only when soil is dry.
3. Money Plant– Many people believe this plant is lucky and a symbol of wealth. It’s often used to bring in green when designing with Feng Shui principles. Standing upright with green leaves above the trunk it adds architecture and drama to a room. It is very easy to maintain, you can grow it in any light condition indoors and can be allowed to completely dry between waterings.
4. Peace lily – The peace lily has undoubtedly been the most common houseplants for years, and with great reason. It is an easy plant to care for that blooms beautiful white blooms regularly throughout the year. It also can be placed in lower light areas in your home. Peace lilies like to have consistent moisture. While some people wait for cues from the peace lily to water them (they droop when they need water) you will notice some damage to the leaves with this method. It’s best to keep the soil evenly moist.
5. Maidenhair fern – This delicate looking little fern is actually quite tough. The soft, small green leaves on black stalks arch gracefully. The key to keeping a Maidenhair fern happy is to place it in high humidity. Rooms like kitchens and bathrooms are naturally more humid. You can also increase the humidity around a maidenhair fern by placing it on a tray of pebbles and keeping water in the tray. Place this fern in a medium to high light spot.
6. Variegated Creeping Fig – This vining plant has small, puckered, heart-shaped green and white leaves. It is lovely grown in a hanging basket or trained as a topiary. Place in a bright spot and keep the soil evenly moist.
7. Golden Pothos – This low maintenance longer vining plant is one of the easiest to grow. Place on a table, shelf, or hanging basket and let the vines grow and trail. Or plant it in a pot with a pole and let it grow up the pole. Grow it in low to medium light and allow soil to dry between waterings.
8. Calathea – This indoor plant has large, colorful patterned leaves in shades of deep green and purple. A great mid-sized upright plant that can be place on tabletop or as a floorplant. They prefer a bright spot. But be careful, there leaves are sensitive to direct sunlight. Allow the soil to dry slightly before watering.
9. English Ivy – In many areas of the country English Ivy is grown as a groundcover, but it is also a popular indoor plant. This trailing plant is pretty grown on a table where it hangs gracefully or in a hanging basket or train it into a topiary using a topiary form. Place it in a higher light area and keep the soil evenly moist.
10. Creeping Fig – This is a solid green variety of creeping fig. It’s as easy to grow as the variegated variety.
Look around your home for a place for an indoor plant. Bring it in and enjoy the aesthetic and health benefits that you will receive.
Greenshooz Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance | Cumming, GA 