Plants can be purifying the air and adding some touch of nature to your interior decoration. Taking care of plants is not that challenging as one may imagine. So, here are some easy and simple-to-grow plants we recommend to you, which let you easily embrace a green life.
Foliage Plants
Most foliage plants can effectively absorb harmful substances in the air and improve indoor air quality. Putting different kinds of foliage plants at home can also add vitality and color to space and increase its beauty.
a. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Pothos is a fast-growing, evergreen climbing plant suitable for hanging. It is characterized by strong adaptability and low maintenance. Leaves are generally heart-shaped with common varieties in dark green, golden yellow, or white striped variations.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing the top of the soil to dry out first. Water a bit more frequently during spring and summer, and less frequently in winter.
- Fertilizing: Feed your plant occasionally throughout spring and summer. Take a break during the winter months.
b. Calathea Concinna
Leaves of the Calathea Concinna come large and oval-shaped, with wavy edges. It shows a peculiar look because of the pattern of stripes in silver or light green against dark green on the surface.The surface features a pattern of silver or light green stripes alternating with dark green, creating a unique look.
- Lighting : Bright,indirect light.
- Watering: Keep the soil moist without letting it get waterlogged, preferably once a week with a little more during summer.
- Fertilizing: Feed monthly with fertilizer during the growing season-when it is spring and summer-and lesser during winter.
c. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia (ZZ Plant)
The leaves are oval, arranged in a feather like pattern , thick and fleshy, with dark green blades that are smooth and glossy.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Let the soil dry out thoroughly between waterings, which takes about 2-3 weeks during spring and summer and once a month in winter.
- Fertilizing: Feed your plant once a month during spring and summer seasons; you don’t need to do this in winter.
Flowering Plants
The aromatic scent and color of flowering plants will effectively take away stress and relax your mind. You can place them on the coffee table or window sill in the living room to coordinate with interior furniture and other decorations.
a. Phalaenopsis
The Phalaenopsis flowers are large and beautiful, shaped like butterflies, in a wide range of colors including white and pink. The petals are wide and flat, with smooth edges, very elegant.They bloom once a year from winter to early spring
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Once a week in summer, ensure that the soil surface is dry before watering.
- Fertilizing: Every 3-4 weeks, skip fertilizing in fall and winter, and during the spring blooming period.
b. African Violet
African Violets flowers are often purple, blue or white, and the leaves are round and shiny. The overall plant is small and delicate.They blossom throughout the year and present colors and beauties throughout the year.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Maintain soil with a little moisture but not soaked. Water according to the condition of the ground surface.
- Fertilizing: Fertilize once every 1-2 weeks in spring and summer.
c. Cyclamen
Cyclamen flowers are trumpet-shaped, normally having petals that rise upward or outward at the tip. Flowers are colored richly in purple, pink, white, etc. Its leaves are heart-shaped normally and dark green with specific patterns of silver on its surface. It blooms from winter to early spring usually.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Water when the surface of the soil is dry, avoiding splashing water on the leaves and without watering during the dormant period.
- Fertilizing: Once a month during the growth season; when it is flowering, increase the frequency opportunely.
Succulent Plants
Succulents are easy to care for and have strong vitality. They are best for those whose lives are too busy to attend to plants all the time.
a. Succulent
The leaves are thick and come in multiple shapes-round, oval, etc. They come in many hues like green, pink, and purple. They have highly developed root systems to adapt to arid conditions.
- Lighting: At least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Watering: Water less frequently, make sure the soil is completely dry before watering.
- Fertilizing: Once a month in growing season.
b. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera features thick, fleshy, and sword-shaped leaves, pointing outwards, having edges that are errated. Mostly, they are dark green and sometimes have light white spots. Mature plants flower in summer with tubular flowers, colored orange, yellow, or red, on long stems.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Water your plant only when the soil is completely dried.
- Fertilizing: As the Aloe vera plant does not need fertilization to a greater extent, it must not be over-fertilized.
Fern Type Plants
If you are residing in a warm and humid area, then ferns will be highly suitable for you, such as Washington State and Michigan.
If you especially like ferns but reside in an arid region, then there also is no need to get disappointed. Keep them in your bathrooms since the percentage of humidity in these places is always higher and considerably good for ferns to survive and flourish.
a. Boston Fern
The leaves of Boston fern are usually dark green, feathery and dense, showing rich layering.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Once a week in the growing season (spring and summer), and once every other week in the non-growing season. (fall and winter).
- Fertilizing: Once a month during the growing season; decrease the frequency of fertilization in fall and winter.
b. Asplenium Nidus
The leaves of Asplenium Nidus are sword-shaped, wide, flat, and usually dark green in color. The plant grows as compact clumps.
- Lighting: Bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Water when the top surface of the soil is dry.
- Fertilizing: Once a month during growing season, spring, and summer. Reduce fertilization in fall.
Planting Tips
- If you have pets at home, choose plants that will not harm them to prevent accidental consumption of plants. Avoid poisonous plants, such as Pothos, Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, Cyclamen, Aloe Vera mentioned above.
- Turn the soil regularly to better aeration and development of the roots.
- Weed out weeds in due time to avoid competition among plants in pots for nutrition and water.
- Prune yellow or too-long leaves regularly for new ones to grow.
- Check your plants regularly and start treatment against pests and diseases as soon as possible.
After reading the above, do you have a preliminary understanding of plant care? Do you think that plant care is not complicated? If you also want to add a touch of nature to your home, then take action now! I hope our article can help you.