Houseplants

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House plants are more than just decorative items that add beauty and a touch of green to your home. They are also natural air purifiers that can help to improve indoor air quality and enhance your overall well-being.

There are many benefits of house plants including air purification, stress relief, improved health, and decorative appeal.

kitchen full of plants with pothos growing up the walls and a skylight letting in plenty of natural light — The amazing plantastic kitchen of @kerrylockwood

In this blog post, I will provide tips for choosing the best plants for your home, as well as how to care for them to keep them thriving. Whether you’re a seasoned plant parent or a newbie, this guide will help you create a healthy and beautiful indoor oasis.

What makes me happy in my home? What could I improve or do to make my home a sanctuary and a happy place to be during the long winter months?

I love the natural world, I love being outdoors in the countryside or woods so for me it has always got to be house plants. On the last count, I had more than 50 indoor plants in my home and it is rising. I find houseplants a key element when designing a space. Not only are they pretty to look at and help brighten your surroundings, but they instantly help you to connect with nature.

House plants can help bring well-being to any space, a corner of a room, or a shelf! There is also that nurturing element of house plants which can be very beneficial to our mental health.

Remembering to water them, finding out where their favorite space is and where they thrive, and tending to them when they look a little unloved can help lower anxiety, improve attention, and benefit your health and well-being. Think of how good you feel when you go out for that walk in the park. Like that, but on a smaller scale!

pink bath with white metro tiles and grey walls in the bathroom. There are monochrome tiles on the floor and plenty of plants — Get naked in the bathroom jungle

I often get asked what houseplants are best to have in the home so I thought I’d list a few of my favourites here.

Easy to Care for Houseplants

What is the best indoor plant? An easy to care for plant! They are a great way to add greenery to your home without a lot of maintenance. These plants are typically hardy and require minimal watering and attention, making them perfect for busy or novice plant owners.

Popular options include snake plants, pothos, ZZ plants, and spider plants. With these easy-to-care-for plants, you can enjoy the benefits of indoor greenery without the stress of high maintenance.

Spider Plant

In my eyes, the easiest of easy plants to keep alive and one of the most common house plants. My first indoor plant was a spider plant and it came to me in the form of a “baby”, cut from the mothership and placed in a cup of water.

From there it grew and grew. I’ve never managed to kill a spider plant, it can grow pretty much anywhere in the house from dark corners to bright sunlit spots, and suffers from few problems. Other than being prolific at reproducing!

Mother-In-Law’s Tongue or Snake Plant

snake plants or mother in law plants sat on a fireplace hearth in wicker pots — I love my snake plants. They are resilient, look good, and grow quickly. I’ve had to repot both of these several times.

I have a few of these dotted around the house and as they grow so quickly, I’ve had to repot them several times. They come in a huge range of sizes and do not need frequent watering. Perfect for the person who always forgets.

Peace Lily

Another houseplant first for me. When we moved into our first home after moving back from Saudi Arabia, my Mum gave us a peace lily and she absolutely thrived on our kitchen windowsill (the peace lily that is, not my Mum).

They love light and humidity and will often bounce back if you forget to water them. Although, saying that, my peace lily is the only houseplant I’ve managed to kill! RIP Peace Lily.

The Big Houseplants

Big house plants are a bold and striking addition to any home decor. These large plants can make a statement in any room and can add a touch of nature and greenery to larger spaces.

Popular big house plants include fiddle leaf figs, rubber plants, and bird of paradise. While these plants require a bit more space and care, they can create a stunning and vibrant atmosphere in your home.

Monstera

The Swiss cheese house plant! It has huge glossy leaves and is a totally tropical house plant, it derives from the jungle. The reason it has “holes” in its leaves is to let light filter through to the plants below it, a very considerate plant!

I must admit, I’ve found our monstera a little hard to handle. It doesn’t like too much water but does like a lot of light and I have since realised that putting it next to the radiator is a big no-no.

It likes moist areas so have moved it and started to spray it with water and have invested in a moss post to help it straighten up.

Fiddle-leaf Fig

I love my fiddle leaf fig! It’s probably my favorite house plant in our home and features a lot in my Instagram posts.

I can’t tell you why exactly, I love the big leafy greenness of it and get really excited when it produces new leaves! It loves a sunny room, but not near a window (we have ours in our bay window but as we have a huge tree in our front garden, it never gets direct sunlight).

It also likes being sprayed with water as its leaves are where it absorbs a lot of water.

Fiddle-leaf Fig Tree

Not to be confused with the fiddle-leaf fig! This is a fig but in tree form, the clue was probably in the name I absolutely love this house plant but it is very costly.

I also think it is quite difficult to look after from all the tales of woe I have seen on Instagram about it dropping its leaves and generally being unhappy.

It needs a lot of water in the summer and also likes a bit of mist spray so it is probably similar to looking after a fiddle-leaf fig. It will be one of the first things I buy when we move house!! You can purchase them from www.patchplants.com

Tropical House Plants

Tropical house plants are a great way to add a touch of exotic beauty to your home decor. These plants come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and can add a vibrant and tropical feel to any room.

Popular tropical house plants include the peace lily, bird of paradise, and hibiscus. With their lush foliage and beautiful blooms, tropical house plants can transport you to a paradise oasis right in your own home.

Kentia Palm

Originally from Australia, I love how this palm gives a tropical vibe to my home. He has moved around my house consistently but has now found his happy place in the corner of our living room, away from the window.

Again, he’s a hardy indoor plant. I went through a stage of forgetting to water him but after cutting off the dead leaves and giving him a lot of attention, he is now back to his healthy self!

Spraying water a few times a week and watering him once a week keeps me in his good books.

Dracaena Houseplant

My poor old dracaena houseplant sits next to my fiddle in the bay window so often gets overlooked. But it stands proud and nothing makes its leaves droop!

In fact, it’s very good at telling me when I am overwatering, as its leaves tend to yellow or droop! It loves its spot on the window sill and is probably the least houseplant to grumble in the house.

The Trailing Houseplants

Trailing house plants are a great way to add depth and dimension to your indoor space. These plants typically have long, trailing stems that can drape over shelves or hang from baskets, adding a beautiful cascading effect.

Popular trailing house plants include the pothos, philodendron, and string of pearls. With their graceful appearance and ease of care, trailing house plants can create a stunning and natural-looking display in any room.

Philodendron

lots of houseplants on shelving in an office space with artwork and an Emma Shipley chair — My philodendron likes to hang out in my workspace

wooden beams and walls in this kitchen area with a green velvet sofa and lots of plants hanging from a rail — This amazing living space by @the_wooden_hill has all the hanging plants. Maz’s Philodendron has started to grow across the wooden beams.

Another favorite of mine. There are hundreds of different varieties of philodendron, they can either be grown as a trailing houseplant or use a moss pole to let them grow upwards.

What I love about this houseplant is the ability to trail it around a room, turning it into a beautiful biophilic corner! It’s easy to do using very small plastic hooks which you can purchase at command.com

Hoya Carnosa Compacta

It’s a bit of a mouthful but I love this houseplant as it is so unusual. It has beautiful compact curly foliage and as it’s a succulent vine, it is very easy to care for.

It needs little watering and you can either have it in a hanging plant pot or train it to grow up a hoop.

String of Pearls

Another cascading succulent that is unusual and grows fast. It is also easy to propagate so you can produce many offspring from it.

I actually have a faux string of pearls in my house but it’s another plant I am looking to purchase once we move house.

The Succulents

Succulent houseplants are a great option for those looking for low-maintenance indoor greenery and small indoor plants. These plants store water in their leaves, making them drought-tolerant and easy to care for.

Popular succulent houseplants include the jade plant, aloe vera, and echeveria. With their unique shapes and textures, succulent houseplants can add a touch of desert-inspired beauty to any room.

Aloe Vera

cacti in terracotta pots on shelves — There is a huge selection of succulents to buy for your home. I love that they can sit in tiny pots but still have a big impact.

Succulents are probably the easiest houseplants to look after. They do not need a lot of watering but also do not like the cold so keep them away from drafts.

Aloe vera is famous for being able to soothe burns and has been used in countless beauty products so it really is a formidable houseplant.

Cacti

When people think of cacti, they immediately think of the Wild West, cowboys, and hot desert heat. But this plant is so versatile and comes in all shapes and sizes so is a great house plant addition as a huge standalone piece or a mini cactus sat on a shelf.

They are also extremely easy to look after with little watering needed and lots of sun (OK, maybe not that easy in the rain-drenched UK).

Where to Buy?

It is so easy to purchase a houseplant these days, with all supermarkets selling them, garden centers, and now an abundance of online plant shops.

Some of my favorite places to buy plants are Lidl, patchplants.com, B&Q, Homebase, The Stem, milaplants.com, and some amazing freebies from my Mum!!

dark green walls in the living room with a fireplace, hexagonal gold mirror, pink and green velvet sofas and a white rug — Lots of plants. Green wall optional.

What is the best indoor plant?

There is no one “best to have” indoor plant, as different plants have different benefits and are suited to different environments.

However, some popular options for indoor plants include the snake plant, pothos, peace lily, spider plant, and ZZ plant. These plants are typically easy to care for and can thrive in a variety of indoor environments.

Ultimately, the best indoor plant for you will depend on factors such as your available space, lighting conditions, and personal preferences.

plants in a bathroom with a white roll top, green panelling and wicker shelving — I love plants in a bathroom

Buying house plants is a great investment for both your home and your health. House plants not only add beauty and a touch of nature to your indoor space, but also offer a variety of benefits, such as purifying the air, reducing stress and anxiety, improving overall health, and increasing productivity.

Additionally, there are a variety of easy-to-care-for house plants available, making them a great option for busy or novice plant owners.

With their numerous benefits and relatively low maintenance, house plants are a simple and effective way to enhance your indoor environment and create a healthier, more vibrant living space.

So, go and purchase some houseplants!

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