the greenhouse guide: how to pick the perfect plants for your home.

Feb 10, 2018
3 min read

Anyone else have a case of the winter blues? Yeah me too. So I thought the best way to get out of my winter funk is to bring a little green into my life. I wanted to share some of my tips on picking out houseplants to bring a little happiness and color into your home during the cold months (or all months because who doesn't love plants). I have become quite the little plant mom and was dying to share what I have learned from my experience with hanging indoor plants and also how you can use them to decorate your home. The following are just a few plants that I recommend for your home that are aesthetically pleasing and also easy to care for.

Swedish Ivy (clover looking plant): Despite its name this plant is neither Swiss nor an ivy.

“A Swedish Ivy is a lush almost succulent- like trailing vine with thick, bright green, shiny scalloped leaves. It looks great in hanging baskets. A Swedish Ivy produces delicate, white, tubular-shaped flowers when given enough bright light.”

This is a perfect hanging plant for your window or even out on your porch.. just remember to bring it inside when it reaches below 50 degrees. This plant is very fast growing and is great for beginners.

Swiss Cheese: This is probably one of my favorite plants because of its name. It’s very fitting and I think its super cute (I know I'm cheesy). This plant is a vine that enjoys a moist and well drained soil. It grows best in warm conditions. I have this one hanging in my window as well. There it can get plenty of sunlight. You just want to make sure you let the soil dry out between watering.

Fittonia, “The lace leaf plant”: This plant is a tropical houseplant that requires a humid environment. I recommend placing this plant in a well lit area of your home and using a spray bottle to water it. The mist helps keep it damp. Make sure you water it with room temperature water. Using water that is too hot or too cold can make the plant go into shock and will eventually wilt. Think rainforest conditions when tending to this plant. However, it still makes a great indoor plant. Just requires a little more upkeep.

Succulents/Cactus: (Yes a cactus is a succulent) Succulents are probably the best plants for indoors and first time plant people. They require little water, but warm conditions and lots of light. I suggest maybe in a cute little pot in your window sill or somewhere you know they will get lots of light. However, I did kill one of these back in Montana. The window that I kept it in was not very well insulated, so the plant was too cold and ended up slowly wilting. These can also sometimes be poisonous to pets. Please keep them where your pet will not eat them. Trust me they will try.

Tulips: Tulips aren’t something you ordinarily see as houseplants, however; my mom, Julie, has these beautiful babies growing in her kitchen as we speak. And with spring just around the corner the bulbs are very easy to find. As long as the bulbs have sunlight and water they can grow without soil. Julie has her bulbs forced with rocks in a vase. They just bloomed a few days ago and are absolutely gorgeous.

I want to tell you guys right now that if you don't want the upkeep of the plants, but still want the look of having a little green thumb in your home, fake plants are totally the way to go. I love to mix it up and do both sometimes too. In darker areas of your home that don't get as much sunlight, you can hang a faux plant in a hanging basket. Or you can go buy an assortment of real and fake succulents and plant them together in a pot like I did with this cactus.

Plants bring a certain life and happiness to the vibe of a room, but also help clean your air. There are a few plants that are especially good at this. Garden mum, spider plant, dracaena, weeping fig, peace lily, boston fern, snake plant, bamboo, and aloe vera are all plants that are especially good at cleaning and removing the toxins from your air. When your air is clean, you sleep better and it helps reduce depression and anxiety. Overall, I think plants are just good for your mental health.

I really hope this post helps you guys when it comes to choosing and caring for your houseplants. Also if you live in the Layton area, I highly recommend J&J Nursery and Garden Center for your greenhouse needs. Please contact me with any questions and I will absolutely get back to you guys! Y'all are great.

shan