Last Updated on August 25, 2022 by Real Men Sow
There’s no doubt about it, houseplants are growing in popularity and the trend for botanical interiors looks set to stay. Fitted furniture specialists Hammonds found that Google searches for ‘biophilic design’ grew 21% in the last year alone and the trend was echoed on the social media platform Instagram where you can find over 8.1 million posts about #houseplants and hashtags relating to plant care total nearly 6 million. In this article, we’ll look at some tips and tricks to help your plants thrive no matter the season so they can keep adding aesthetic value and health benefits to your home.
Benefits of Indoor Plants
Indoor plants offer many benefits. Houseplants are aesthetically pleasing, i.e. they look good and they can help create a natural flow from outdoor to indoor spaces and improve our connection to nature. Indoor plants can also benefit our health by reducing stress levels and aiding concentration. Some indoor plants have even been shown to improve air quality.
Popular Houseplants for your Home
If you’re looking to incorporate some greenery into your home, here are some popular houseplants and how to care for them.
Chinese Money Plants
Thought to bring good luck and fortune to their owners, it’s no wonder this plant boasts 79.3K monthly searches. If you’re looking for a little extra luck in your life, a Chinese money plant could be a good addition to a home office or study.
Because this plant is non-toxic, you can place it anywhere in your home providing there are suitable light levels. However, be wary of giving them too much heat or light or you’ll find that their unusual, circular leaves can start to curl inwards to form a cup shape. You should water your Chinese money plant about once a week and allow the soil to drain before the next watering.
Peace Lily
A plant more suited to the more experienced plant carer, peace lilies can add a tropical element to your home. Traditional, they signify sympathy making them a great apology gift or to reach out to someone who may be going through a hard time.
Data suggests that peace lilies are one of the more tricky to care for houseplants, with Google recording around 8.1k search queries into ‘peace lily care’ every month. As tropical plants, they dislike draughts but do well in east-facing windows where they can catch the bright morning sun. Use them to decorate window storage and if possible, water with filtered water as they can be sensitive to the chemicals found in tap water. It’s also important to keep your peace lily out of reach of children or curious animals, as their leaves are poisonous.
Aloe Vera
A naturally healing plant, aloe vera can add both beauty and purpose to your home whilst being one of the easiest plants to care for. Aloe vera plants are well suited to busy plant owners, as they require very little watering and the gel or juice they produce can be used as a remedy for skin complaints such as minor burns, rashes, or acne. However be aware that aloe vera is toxic to animals, so keep your plant out of reach of any pets. Aloe vera plants will also harvest carbon dioxide at night, improving your room’s air quality as you sleep.
