Best Houseplants for a Happy Home!

houseplants It is amazing how much difference the odd houseplant or two can make to a room. Not only do these delightful additions bring a splash of color and just the right subtle hint of fragrance, but they also bring some life to an otherwise dull and completely uninteresting room.

There are some houseplants out there that need very little maintenance, and these can be perfect for those rooms that you don’t need to go into everyday, for example, the guest room. This is perfect because it you forget to water them for a couple of days – it’s no big deal! Ideally, if you are on a budget and can’t really afford a house full of complicated orchids or luscious lilies, you will want plants that grow fast and cost little. Thankfully, there are plenty that you can choose from!
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The Cactus

cactus Often overlooked, the cactus, (educational tip for you – more than one cactus is cacti, not cactuses!) is a desert-based plant that can go for weeks without water. This isn’t a test however – you shouldn’t try to kill your cactus because eventually it will die! You can use this in a bathroom, in a guest room, even in a hallway if you prefer and you aren’t just picking from boring green plants with spikes either; you can actually get larger ones or smaller ones, and even some with a beautiful array of flowers.

The Pothos

This is one of the easiest plants to maintain and as long as it has plenty of light, (for example in your hallway where your front door is, or on the windowsill in any other room) it will grow beautifully into a splashing array of many colors. The good news is that you don’t need to water this plant often – you should actually wait until there is around two inches of dry “stuff” before you water it again.

The Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Strange as it sounds, this is a larger plant that normally grows to around four or five feet in height. This plant does require some maintenance however because it is likely to become root-bound, so you should try to repot it at least once per year, preferably twice. Also, if you are not a fan of dusting, this perhaps is not the right plant for you as it seems to attract it! Obvious downfall for those that detest housework!

The Croton

This blooms beautifully in a room that has lots and lots of bright light! It also loves a bit of steam, which makes it perfect for bathrooms and kitchens alike. The beautiful colors will bring a sense of the exotic to any room in which it is placed!

The Philodendron

You can care for this plant in much the same way as you would care for the Pothos – lots of light, two inches of dry soil in between watering, etc. Thankfully, this plant tells you when it has not be cared for correctly – yellow leaves mean too much water, and not enough water will provide brown leaves that regularly fall off.
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What about gifts?

plant Flowers make the perfect gift, especially as a house warming gift, or a gift to a newly married couple. There are actually scientific studies that back the positive side effects that plants have to offer any household. The plants take carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen – perfect for a happy, healthy home!

Thankfully, you can dress up potted plants without having to spend a small fortune on indoor pots. Why not dress it up with some old material such as raffia or burlap, and complete the look with a pretty ribbon that matches the interior of the house that you are presenting it to? You could also make it a profitable house plant – add herbs so that the new owner can learn to cook with them at the same time. You can even get edible flowers, but remember that some of the flowers can be poisonous so do your research first! In fact, you could even go the whole hog and present a plant pot full of herbs – it’s useful, pretty, (chives for example, have beautiful purple flowers) and delicious, which essentially kills three birds with one clever stone!

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