Quick Guide: Indoor Plants

Indoor plants do more than just make your home look pretty. Studies show that decorating with greenery indoors can reduce stress and create a general feeling of wellbeing, while employees are made happier and more productive when plants are featured in the workplace. According to Mark Paul from The Green Wall Company, flowers and plants have also been known to inspire creativity.

But it’s not just your mental wellbeing that’s improved by adding a little shrubbery to your home or workplace. Plants are also known to help improve air quality by reducing carbon dioxide levels and keeping air temperatures down. You see what we’re getting at? All hail the indoor plant!

So now that you know why indoor greenery is so important, you’ll next want to know which plants are right for you, and where they’re going to live in your home.

TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

There are so many types of plants out there it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. We’d suggest opting for sturdy succulents as they’re as hardy as they are nice to look at. That said, there is still an art to growing healthy succulents indoors. Succulents are desert plants suited to tropical climates, so they need to be given as much sun as possible. Ensure they’re exposed to plenty of light wherever you choose to place them inside.

A resilient rubber plant is perfect for keeping indoors, but will need to be pruned from time to time to prevent it from growing out of control. We’d also suggest allowing the potting mix to dry out before you water it, and keep an eye on dust build up on its leaves. If this all sounds a bit complicated, then one type of succulent you’re bound to be able to grow healthily is a cactus. They require minimal care, but will still need a fair amount of sunlight each day, and well-draining soil.

HOME IS WHERE THE PLANT IS

When it comes to choosing rooms plants should be featured in, Emma Blomfield, stylist at The Home, suggests looking outside the box: ‘Indoor plants are often overlooked as a bathroom accessory, but a small potted succulent can easily (and affordably) jazz up your bathroom vanity. Kitchens and living rooms are also rooms of your house that can benefit from some green love.’

Emma also recommends spending a bit of time trawling through Pinterest to see if you can spot a common plant theme in your favourite images: ‘Plants can evoke different styles. We all know the cactus works well with Mexican or Aztec style rooms, and the Fiddle Leaf Fig works well in French Provincial, Shabby Chic or more classic style interiors.’

No matter what type of plants you go for, we’re sure you’ll notice an improvement both in the way your home looks, and more importantly the way you feel. Pretty soon you’ll be leaving your guests and colleagues green with envy.