Introducing indoor plants to your home

From the paint on our walls, to the colour schemes and finishing touches in between. Our homes are our sanctuaries, a place to express ourselves, explore our creativity and make our own.

Our gardens are no different, being an extension of our homes and providing a place for us to relax, unwind and reflect. However, even if we have limited or no outdoor space, we can still help to create this natural, aesthetic environment inside our homes or on a windowsill.

Research suggests that the greatest benefits of indoor plants are through wellbeing and productivity improvement.¹ Introducing some leafy friends to our indoor lives can also help to give our day-to-day actions a life-giving and nurturing purpose. Here’s just a few ways that you can help to bring the joy of nature into your home.

Houseplants
 

Glossy magazines and social media influencers may have planted the seeds of desire to transform your home into a conservatory which would be the envy of Kew Gardens. But some quiet contemplation before you leap into action will mean you spend wisely and give your new companions the best chance to thrive. 

Pick and choose

Houseplants as you may know (or will quickly discover) are as individual in character as we are. And there are probably as many species as there are shades of green. So a considered journey should begin by thinking about your home conditions.

How much natural light will your plants get and will they be in direct sunshine? How much space do you want them to take up? Are we talking a perch in a humid bathroom or a corner of a dry living room?

Also you need to consider your own commitment and circumstances – perhaps you should opt for low-maintenance if you’re away from home for long periods? Importantly are there any allergies in your household that may restrict your choice, or might toddlers or a pet mean poisonous plants are totally off limits?

Once you have peeled back those layers (and you’ve decided on a budget), you can work out what plants can be on your shopping list with the help of the RHS.

Loving your houseplant

Buying your houseplant is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Refer to the care instructions and as your plant grows and the seasons change you may have to consider re-potting or moving it to another location in your home. If your confidence is growing as much as your plants, then you could even experiment with propagation to divide and share the plants you love.

Terrariums 

Whether you opt for an open or closed terrarium, these botanical communities take up very little space, are easy to put together and maintain. Armed with an empty glass jar, some soil, moss, charcoal, a few pebbles, your chosen plants¹ and a dash of creativity, you are steps away from planting your own miniature garden.

Either closed or open, it’s again worth considering where your indoor garden will be located before you pick your plants so you give them the best chance to flourish.

You could also try experimenting with companion planting. By mixing up your plants, you can confuse insects with different plant scents. For example, mixing strongly scented French marigolds with vulnerable crops such as runner beans.²

Edible and aesthetic herbs

Growing herbs indoors is an all-round winner. They look great, smell amazing and of course they add delicious flavours to any meal.

Whether you choose to grow and nurture them from seed or take the ready-made route by picking up pots at a supermarket or garden centre, be sure to do your research on their care requirements and keep your herbs somewhere that will provide them with the ideal conditions to grow and thrive.

At the root of it all 

Indoor planting goes beyond making your home look beautiful, it can also help to open your doors to nature. Selecting, planting and nurturing your houseplants, terrariums and herbs can be a purposeful and calming investment of your time. Caring for another living thing and seeing it grow can fill you with a sense of pride and achievement. What’s more, indoor, as well as outdoor growing can be great activities to share with others in your community, whether that’s trading home-grown herbs with loved ones, or sharing your love of houseplants with other growing enthusiasts in online communities such as Facebook groups.

We’d love to meet your potted friends, so upload your photos on social media and don’t forget to tag us @SimplyhealthUK.

At Simplyhealth, we’re proud to be recognised as a Carbon Neutral + organisation and be doing our bit to support our green communities and help fight climate change.