12 Ideas and Tips on Being a Great House Plant Parent – GWC Mag

Bringing a house plant into your home is a wonderful way to add color, texture, life, and sometimes well-being to a space.

The great thing about house plants is that you don’t have to have a ton of space or even a lot of light, depending on the type of plant you get.

Indoor plants don’t have to be expensive to care for or even need lots of attention. Some plants can go ages without any care and still be fine! This is great for those who wish they were green-thumbed but lack the time or ability to remember to water!

Check out these OGP articles that give lots of tips on how to keep house plants alive and even better, happy and healthy!

1. House Plants as Gifts

There are lots of great ways that you can give gifts to people that don’t involve buying tat that will end up in the landfill or at Goodwill. A house plant is living. In the unfortunate event that the new parent neglects it, it can at least go back to the earth (no waste). It can bring much joy and health to a space. It can be inexpensive to buy and even cheaper to maintain. House plants can make great gifts, but there are a few things to think about. What if your recipient is an avid traveler, allergic to pollen, or lives in a tiny house? Not every plant is going to suit every person or space. Before you hand over a plant to a friend, check out these 6 Tips for Giving House Plants as Gifts.

2. Teabags for Your House Plants

People can go through several teabags a week, even multiple every day, if they are avid tea drinkers. In 2019, the US drank 84 billion servings of tea. That’s a lot of teabags. The great news is that there are a bunch of things you can do with used teabags to keep them out of the trash heap. One of the best ways to make great use of used teabags, however, is to use them in your garden or for your house plants. Check out these really easy ways to make the most of those leftover tea leaves and give your garden a boost. Read on to learn of 8 Ways Used Teabags Are Great for Your Garden and House Plants.

3. House Plants for Low Light

If your home or office gets little to no natural light, you might feel it impossible to have any kind of greenery at all in those spaces. But, that is not entirely the case. Several house plants will grow just fine in low-light conditions. Many will thrive while others might need a bit of a vacation now and then to a sunnier spot. That said, there is no reason to have a space devoid of greenery if that is what you love. Look at this list of plants that do well in low-light conditions. If you wish to have a plant in your house but thought you couldn’t, take a look at these Tips for Growing Houseplants in Rooms with Low Light.

4. Improve Air Quality

Who doesn’t love houseplants? Something about crisp, green, growing leaves seems to brighten up any room. But did you know that houseplants can elevate mood, enhance creativity, promote wellness, and, according to studies by NASA, Associated Landscape Contractors of America, and the American Society for Horticultural Science, they also purify indoor air? Our modern-day homes are rife with pollutants that can cause a host of health problems. Fortunately, many houseplants will filter these chemicals and clean air naturally, as well as brighten up your living space. Here is a list of the 10 Best Houseplants for Improving the Air Quality in Your Home.

5. House Plants as Pest Control

For all of those uses, with a mosquito buzzing around your ears, there is but one quality that seems to matter: which plants repel household pests? Flies, mosquitoes, ants, roaches, ticks, fleas – is there anything we can grow to rid of these problems? Unsurprisingly, there is. Even better, most of those plants — all beautiful — can also be used as food and medicine. So, before the bugs get back to biting, get these plants in a pot and that pot in your house. Take a look here to learn How to Repel Household Pests the Natural Way With Plants.

6. House Plants to Snack on

Maybe you’ve been meaning to get a little greener indoors; well, now’s the time. Maybe you’ve already got some stuff on the go; well, it never hurts to have more. More clean air, more living room vitality, and more nibbles for dinner. From short to tall, rotund to small, there are loads of potentially productive houseplants, and possible conversation pieces, with which to adorn your home. To answer your question, Yes, You Can Eat These Houseplants.

7. House Plant Problems

If you have a house full of houseplants or just one prized plant friend, it can be rather disheartening to see one or all of them looking a bit under the weather despite your best efforts. From wilting leaves and spots to mold or crispy edges, there are a few common culprits that can be reasonably easily identified and rectified. To make things a little complicated, often the same symptom can be caused by various issues. It is at this point that you have to do some detective work. For example, yellow leaves can be the result of over- and under-watering. Feel the soil and see which one it is! Take a quick look at this list of 5 Things Wrong with Your Houseplant and How You Can Help It.

8. Beautiful and Edible

Winter months can transform a lush and colorful landscape into a blank canvas complete with brown grass, dried shrubs, bare trees, and white snow. While the trees will eventually bare their leaves, flowers will bud and bloom, and the grass and shrubbery will return the stark and barren winter environment is a tough pill to swallow. A great remedy to brighten your home and bolster your health is to create an indoor edible garden. Feed your body, mind, and soul with brilliantly colored flowers, aromatic herbs, and sweet and savory fruits and vegetables from your indoor garden! Here is an amazing list of 6 Beautiful Indoor Plants You Can Eat.

9. Health and Wellness

It’s true – a 1989 NASA experiment found that certain indoor plants can improve the air quality in a home by absorbing chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air. The research found that several different houseplants could act as natural air filters. Additionally, a study has shown that being in an environment with plants can help reduce stress and improve blood pressure and heart rate, reports Time. Here’s a list of 10 Indoor Plants That Improve Overall Health and Wellness and better the air quality in your house or apartment.

10. Beginner House Plants

Stuck inside and looking for ways to make yourself feel better in your own four walls? It’s time to get your indoor gardening on! Incorporating indoor plants into your home’s aesthetics is not only pleasing to the eye, but it also has health and mental benefits. Keep in mind that when you take on indoor plants, then you’ll need to tend to them on occasion. This means getting your hands dirty! Luckily, there are a handful of house plants that are perfect for inexperienced gardeners. These plants are hardy, don’t require perfect sun exposure, need little watering, and will still love you at the end of it all! Here is a list of 10 Beginner Indoor Plants to Enliven and Purify Your Home.

11. Health, Love and Luck

Plants have an amazing ability to help humans prosper in more ways than one. Eating a diet rich in plants can help us not only live longer but also live healthier and happier lives. For most of us, that information isn’t anything new; we know eating fresh, whole foods gives us more energy and a better chance of steering clear of the medical system. There are a host of beautiful, affordable indoor plants that are said to have powerful effects in helping people prosper. Whether it be money, luck, or health, the following plants have earned a reputation for bestowing these on those who care for them: the Money Tree, Lucky Bamboo, and the Peace Lily. For some, their powers are understood on a spiritual or cultural level. Learn more about these 3 Powerful Indoor Plants That Can Help Bring You Health, Love, and Luck!

12. Lift Your Mood

Many things contribute to poor indoor air quality. Outside pollution seeps in through open doors, windows, and cracks in the home, it hitchhikes on our clothing and hair and hides in chemical-filled cleaning or beauty products. By having indoor plants in your home, you are not only going to be breathing better air but plants also double as natural mood enhancers. And who wouldn’t be happier if they were finally able to breathe a little better? Let’s take a look at some of the ways indoor houseplants help us to breathe easier as well as how they can change your mood for the better. Read on to learn more about How Indoor Plants Help You to Breathe Easier and Can Lift Your Mood.

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