Indoor Plants: Your Green, Leafy Friends

Green is life. After all, at the beginning, we were all in the garden, weren’t we?

It’s well-known that whenever we are surrounded by greenery, we end up renewed, refreshed and calmed. So, how can we fill ourselves with that life force today when the concrete cubicles and big, grey cities take up all our energy? The solution is simple. House plants in our homes can create oases, islands of life that offer refreshment and rest.

House Plants: Benefits

There are so many benefits we receive from our green indoor friends. The simplest, scientifically proven are that plants produce oxygen, clean the air, and absorb toxins. If you ever walked in the woods, you surely remember the sense of calmness, silence and serenity. You will find the same when you enter your private green space at home. The stress and fatigue go down, your mood goes up, creativity and productivity increase and you feel good.

Growing plants is even therapeutic. It gives you the opportunity to take care of something alive, and you are so happy when you see the results: a new leaf growing up, a flower beginning to blossom, the beauty of life itself. So, why not bring a piece of paradise into your own home?

The Most Popular Choices

The most popular indoor plants today are not difficult to grow. The majority of them don’t require special effort to keep them alive so, if you are a beginner, you can start with some of these.

Snake plant (Sanseveria Trifasciata)

With sharp and tall leaves, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria Laurentii), this house plant is decorative but requires very low maintenance. Thriving in low to moderate light, and needing water only when the soil is dry, it is a perfect choice for beginners who love green, but tend to forget their new project. It adds a nice, elegant look to your room and you can destroy it only with too much water.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum Spp)

Originating from the tropical rainforests in Central and South America, this plant has thick, glossy leaves and fragrant, dramatic flowers that resemble white peace flags. It grows in shady places and needs water when the soil is still moist. With its air-cleaning qualities and the atmosphere of elegant beauty and peace it spreads, it is one of the most attractive and popular house plants today.

Orchids (Phalaenopsis Spp)

When in bloom, these tropical beauties are absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous. With their elegant, beautiful flowers that can last from 3 to 6 months, they will enlighten every space you put them in. Not too engaging, they need water only once a week, a special potting mix, and warm, bright, but indirect light.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)

This is one of the most easy-to-grow house plants and a superb air cleaner. Growing like a cluster of beautiful long, narrow leaves, in solid green or with white and yellow lengthwise stripes, it produces small plantlets that hang down from the mother plant and resemble spiders. It needs low to moderate light and not too much water, and if you put it in a hanging basket, you will get a beautiful decoration for your place.

Ferns (Pteridophytes or Filicophytas)

They definitely bring the mystical forest atmosphere in your home. Hanging down from baskets or elevated pots, these lush, bountiful greens need a lot of humidity and sufficient light, but without direct sun exposure. For best results plant them in rich, well-draining soil and enjoy their thrive.

Monstera Deliciosa

These delicious monsters definitely bring the exotic feel of Mexican and Central American jungles to your homes. With their grand, glossy leaves, they fill the space and create a tropical feel. Indirect light (bright to medium), and moderate watering, and they quickly grow into impressive, lush trees that are easy to prune and propagate.

Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica)

This is a low-maintenance plant native to Asia and it has many variations. With indirect light and watering once a week (when the soil becomes dry) it will become a real beauty in your corner. And, if you decide to take time and prune it, it will become even more elegant and charming.

Weeping Figs (Ficus Benjamina)

Native to Asia and Northern Australia, this plant, with constant pruning, will grow into an impressive indoor tree. It has small leaves in green and variegated colours and doesn’t need too much water (only when the soil is dry). If you want to cultivate a perfect centrepiece for your living space, you will need a bright room with little direct sun in the morning. Just be careful – it doesn’t like moving around.

Herbs

Basil, Rosemary, Mint, Parsley, Oregano … Planted in small pots, placed on the window stool, or in a spot with direct sunlight, they will decorate your kitchen and add fresh scents to your cooking area. You can constantly harvest them and the taste of the food you prepare will never be the same.

Succulents and Cacti

Finally, our best friends. Practically draught-resistant, they need water only when the soil is completely dry. As for the light, most of them adore it, but there are some that can thrive in shadier places. Coming in many shapes and sizes, you can combine them and create attractive, spiky decorations for your home and office.

House Plants Native to Australia

An interesting fact: Did you know that some of the most popular indoor greens today are actually one of our kind? For example, the ever-present Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) originates from Lord Howe Island, 600 km off the Australian shore. Thanks to its tolerance to cold, humidity and low light, it became popular in Europe in the 1870s and today it’s all over the world.

The decorative and easy-to-grow Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla) is in fact, a weed in parts of Queensland, while Hoya Australis (one of the many hoyas today) with its beautiful, fragrant flowers was first found in the rainforest margins and rocky areas in Western Australia. The Cunjevoi or Spoon Lily (Alocasia Brisbanensis), the Palm-lily, some native monsteras, gingers and violets, and plants and varieties of peperomias (radiator plant), all originate from our continent.

Cultivate some of these beautiful species in your collection and besides enjoyment, you will also have amusing feats to share with all your plant-loving friends.

Soil, Water, Light and Care

Quality soil, the right amount of water and light, the right position, all these things are necessary for your green, leafy friends. We suggested indoor house plants that won’t take much of your time, but there is one ingredient you mustn’t forget – love. Spend some time in your green space every day, touch and greet your plants. Let them feel you care. They will reward you with abundant growth and joy.

Where to Find Them

With online garden stores, you are just one click away from your plant paradise. There you will find hundreds, if not thousands of indoor plants for sale, and everything you need for them and your green thumb experience: potting mixes, fertilizers, pots and tools and modern self-watering planters.

The customer service will give you plenty of useful advice and answer all your questions, and blog posts will challenge you into new planting adventures. And finally, if you want to see what the original garden looked like, go and visit the physical garden store yourself. You won’t return empty-handed, for sure.

To Sum Up

Indoor plants will enrich your living space with beauty, freshness and serenity. They will make it alive and create green islands where you can rest and relax. Start planting and let your love for them grow with every new leaf. Green is life and life is green. Let it be your colour, too.