If you walk into our home, you will likely notice a large tree, along with multiple other houseplants scattered throughout the main rooms. Somedays, the clay pots are overflowing with green and beautiful leaves; other times their contents start to droop or brown, clearly in need of more than what I have offered them in the prior week.
These live, little guys that take up residence in our home came to us initially when I was in need of a hobby and some cheap decor. Over a year later, I have continued to keep up with them, proving to myself that I, the gal with the not-so-green thumb who previously killed all the things was capable of doing so.
Here are five of the reasons I grow houseplants:
- Air Quality. Supposedly, the air quality improves in a home with houseplants. I know it does, because, it has been written about time and time again by people who clearly know what they are talking about. How much the air quality has improved, I don’t have a clue. But, with three little kids and two gigantic dogs, I will take whatever improvement we can get.
- The Real Greenery Factor. Live houseplants are beautiful when cared for. ZZ plants are my current favorite because of their ability to thrive in various conditions. Not enough light? Get a ZZ. Neglect your responsibilities sometimes? A ZZ can handle it. Are you never sure where you are going to live or what the room setup will look like? Us either, and I am hopeful this ZZ will continue to thrive regardless of future moves.
- Learning and Rest for Myself. Not only have I learned how to care for houseplants enough to keep them alive, but I have learned that my plants tend to mirror me. When I am down, you can bet they are, too, usually because I forgot to care for them properly. Caring for indoor plants, a task I had previously written myself off as “just not good at” has taught me that I can learn and even come to enjoy doing the things I thought I couldn’t. And, watching plants thrive when cared for reminds me that I need that same rest and care. Like the meme I have seen all over social media, “You’re basically a plant with more complicated emotions.”
- An Easy Chore. The kids love helping water the houseplants. It is simple, quick, difficult to not do correctly. Caring for the plants is something we can do together or that they can feel grown-up doing solo.
- The Ability to Say, “I Kept This Alive.” Ridiculous, I know. But, have you ever attempted to keep a Fiddle Leaf Fig happy?! For the love of all things, it is a feat! Ours is temperamental – don’t believe all the articles that say otherwise. For me to be able to say, “I have kept this alive for well over a year to the point of it actually thriving,” well, that’s huge.
Do you grow houseplants inside? What’s your current fave? Happy growing, friends!
