Add greenery inside the home with these plants

This is a great time of the year to consider adding some houseplants to your home. They can add color and liveliness to your space, and they can be used to increase the relative humidity indoors, reduce noise, and screen unattractive areas. Indoor plants can also make your home healthier, as they will help purify the air.

Indoor plants have also been proven to improve our mental health. They create a relaxing, calming environment. Studies where plants are used in office settings have shown the employees to be more productive. Other studies have also shown plants to aid in healing in hospitals.

All plants, grown inside or outside, are capable of giving us a sense of accomplishment. Very few people consider themselves to be born with a green thumb. When we buy a plant and get it home, every day that it lives might be an accomplishment for some. Ultimately, we get over the anxiety of killing the plant and take pride in watching it thrive.

The general manager of The Bloomin Garden Centre, Raechel Tracey, is a houseplant enthusiast. I asked her to give me a list of her top five favorite houseplants. Here they are.

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily): This is an easy-care, low-light houseplant. It also removes many toxins from indoor air. They can tolerate different lighting conditions but should be kept out of direct light. They bloom best when given more indirect light and when they are slightly pot-bound.

Ficus elastica (Rubber Plant): This is an excellent houseplant. they are tolerant of low light, and also help clean the indoor air from pollutants. Rubber plant thrives in medium to bright indirect light and is tolerant of bright light.

Anthurium (Flamingo Lily): This is a great plant for indoor blooms. The flowers of the Anthurium are some of the longest-lasting on earth, which means that dazzling color will last in your home for months. The Anthurium symbolizes hospitality with its open heart-shaped flower and inspires happiness and abundance. Place your Anthurium in a warm, well-lit spot.

Pothos (Devil’s Ivy): Pothos is trailing plant with heart-shaped green leaves. In the wild, it is known to overgrow forest floors and tree trunks due to its aerial root system. Pothos love warmth and humidity, so spritz with water and keep temperatures above 70 degrees to keep your plant happy.

Sansevieria (Snake Plant): There are several varieties of this plant. They are generally very low maintenance and will tolerate neglect if you occasionally forget to water them. These plants are easy to grow. They rarely have any problems with disease or pests and are not picky about their growing conditions.

After you buy a houseplant and take it home, the care should be fairly simple, especially at this time of the year. The term "houseplant" relates to where we are growing them, but in reality all of these plants are outdoor plants from tropical climates. At this time of the year, they are resting for the winter. They will not need to be fertilized. They will not need to be watered as often as they would if it was the growing season.

Over-watering is the most frequent mistake made when caring for houseplants. Just like outdoor plants, it is hard to prescribe a schedule for watering as the conditions will vary in different locations. It is best to check your plants on a weekly basis. Let the soil dry out between watering. Then when they need water, take the plants to the bathtub. Water thoroughly to be able to saturate the soil while allowing the excess to drain out the bottom of the pot.