When I was a child, I dreamed of having a “green thumb.” The cottage was covered in flowering vines, with plants of all kinds hanging from the ceiling and occupying every room. I didn’t realize that all I needed to do was choose the right plants for my environment, and water them properly.
It sounds easy, right? Because it isn’t every day that you will find an instruction manual for your plants, you’ll naturally be inclined to search the internet for tips and suggestions on how to maintain your new plants. Don’t worry, I’ll give you all my best tips here. There is no doubt that having indoor plants in your home can boost your mood as well as reduce your stress levels.
Add a little touch of life and home decor to your humble abode, office, cave, or as I like to call it… My lair. Your wellbeing and happiness will increase as a result.
5 Indoor Houseplants for Happiness:
Succulents
Plants like succulents can tolerate the dry indoor conditions of your home unlike many other plants. As well as having thick and enlarged roots, as well as fleshy, thick stems and leaves, they are able to retain water, so watering is minimal. Webster’s online dictionary says the word succulent comes from the latin word succulentus, which means “having juice.”
During the winter months, succulents go dormant, so don’t worry if you don’t see much growth. Spring and summer are when most plants strive, grow, and even bloom-leaving fall as a period of limbo. Your succulents need to have the most light possible during the day, so place them near a window.
Cast-iron Plant
A plant known as Aspidistra Eliator that looks nothing like cast iron is a great beginner plant. Excellent for foyers and places at the bottom of stairs where all else fails.
You should repot this baby every other year as needed or as it grows, preferably in the spring. Whenever the roots of your cast iron plant start growing over the edge, you need to repot it. If you’re forgetful, don’t worry because this plant is one tough warrior that doesn’t require frequent watering.
Snake Plant
Snake plant, or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, is also a member of the Asparagus family, or Asparagacea. Those who grew this beautiful houseplant were viewed as blessed by the gods with long life, prosperity, intelligence, beauty, art, poetry, health, and strength. Almost indestructible, snake plants need well-drained soil, so if you have the opportunity, sprinkle some sand on top to allow them to rehydrate and drain properly.
The snake plant’s soil doesn’t require as much water as the cast-iron plant. Water the soil monthly or whenever the soil is completely dry in the winter. Let the soil dry between waterings.
Spider Plant
The Chlorophytum Comosum is one of the more common house plants. It is a popular plant due to the speed at which new plants form and it grows quickly. This bad boy should be hung in a space with indirect bright light, though it can tolerate some direct sunlight. Make sure you let the soil dry between waterings when you water your spider plant.
Upon touching soil, the small spider plantlets will grow into another plant that you can fill your space with, or you can leave them alone to create a beautiful full basket of greenery. Spider plants come in three different cultivars.
ZZ Plant
The low maintenance nature of this plant makes it a great choice for rooms with little or no light. In your ZZ plant, you will see similarities to the features you’ve seen on rhizomes (potato-like roots) of other plants you’ve owned in the past. Rhizomes store water so plants can survive for long periods of time without being watered. If you are prone to forgetting to water your plants the ZZ plant will survive on a monthly watering schedule.
This plant is called a Zanzibar Gem in Feng Shui, and in Mandarin it is called a Jin Qian Shu, which means gold money tree. These plants are also believed to be associated with good fortune, making them good housewarming plants.
