I always worked with freshly cut flowers while at Scarlet & Violet, selling a few succulents in pots at certain times of the year, so it wasn’t until I started working at Bunched in Leigh-on-Sea after I had a baby that I started to learn about house plants as we sold them alongside the cut flowers.
Plants have so many advantages for the home – they add an instant hit of green to brighten a space, they add oxygen to the air which helps to purify it, they need relatively little care which makes them great for busy lives and putting them in stylish pots can really finish off a room.
Below I’ve listed the 5 most popular house plants with a few key benefits to each as well as some tips for keeping them alive. I’ve had a Rubber Plant for 3 years now, and even though I feel like I neglect it, it seems to always have new shoots, so I must be doing something right…
Rubber Plant: A Rubber Plant likes to be watered about once a week with a little water (about half to a full cup depending on its size) If you keep the leaves clean with a damp cloth it helps them to absorb more sunlight. Leaving it to completely drain with water before putting it back in place will also help keep the roots healthy. This is a great plant for steadily growing in your space and choosing one with three separate shoots will help make more of an impact.
Fiddle Leaf Fig: This is the plant you see all over Instagram interiors accounts, as much as a lush Fiddle Fig can look amazing in a room, a lot of people struggle to keep them alive. They like a lot of light, so ensure you rotate it every couple of months so the plant grows equally. When the top inch of the soil feels dry, give the plant a little lukewarm water. They also like nutrient rich soil, so pop in some pant food every now and again.
Boston Fern: This lush fern has a mass of bright green foliage that looks great on a kitchen worktop or hanging in a macrame pot. They need a bit more care from us, liking to be misted with water on a daily basis (a bathroom is a great place for these beauties to thrive) but what they take from us in care they give back. This plant helps to rid the home of harmful toxins and helps to purify the air, making them great for owners with dry skin or who suffer with dry throats.
Sansevieria: This is also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue and is another great air purifier. It’s most well known for releasing oxygen at night helping to purify the air which makes them a perfect addition to a bedroom for a better nights sleep. A Sansevieria will also thrive on neglect and only needs a small amount of sunlight and the smallest amount of water, perfect for the forgetful among us!
Cheese Plant: This is an easy to grow, large-leaved plant that has characteristic splits in the leaves. They’re perfect for filling a big space, they grow quite quickly, so will usually need to be repotted every couple of years. They have thick stemmed vines so sometimes need to have a bamboo stick attached to leaves to help them stay upright. Light and watering once a week will help keep this beauty healthy.
Here are a couple of pointers to help keep houseplants alive:
- Ensure the whole plant will be able to get natural light. If only part of it does, you’ll find that it starts growing towards the sunlight which could result in a wonky plant.
- Most houseplants will only want a minimal amount of water once a week (apart from a Boston Fern) depending on their size. Try not to leave it longer and then compensate with a flood of water as this will result in yellow leaves and waterlogged soil.
- If placing in a basket, keep the plant in it’s original pot and always remove from the basket before watering. Once watered, let it completely drain before returning to the basket.
- If planting the plant into a pot, ensure that there is appropriate drainage at the bottom, such as broken pot pieces or hydrolica clay balls.
- Give the leaves a dust or wipe every now and again to remove dust and ensure they’re lovely a shiny so they can absorb light properly.
I hope that was helpful!
