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| Photo: Joyce D’Agostino |
While every age and economic groups love indoor plants, there is a new interest and appreciation among the millennial generation (those born between 1981 and 1996) to add beautiful fresh living plants to their homes and office spaces. Some have found that having a plant or plants to tend and care for gives them as much satisfaction as having a pet and sometimes with less care.
Public gardens or plants in cities, public spaces and homes goes back thousands of years. And as homes developed better indoor heating and cooling, it made it even easier to grow a wide variety of plants. In addition to plants, having beautiful cut flowers indoors was also found to contribute to greater optimism and a higher sense of compassion and empathy.
Additional studies show that nursing homes that use a type of behavioral ecology, where the residents had plants and flowers around them to enjoy, found the residents had fewer sick days, depression and less hospital stays, especially those that were able to grow and care for their own plants. Even those who could view the outdoors from their room windows where they could see trees, grass, flowers and other plants had similar positive effects.
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| Photo: Joyce D’Agostino |
All of these are great reasons to add living plants and flowers to your environment. Even Amazon headquarters in Seattle added three glass domes that include lots of light and live plants for their employees to use for work or relaxation: seattlespheres
There is a wide variety of plants to choose from, so just as you would take time to ensure furniture would fit in your spaces, it is also important to review the size and scale of the plants you select and their care needs. Indoor plants can be as varied as cactus, African Violets, trees or blooming plants in all shapes, colors and textures. To ensure the best results, read the information on the product tag included with your plant, or consult with your favorite garden center for advice so your plant is the best fit for your space and lifestyle.
Correct light levels will be the number one requirement for the health of your plant. Some plants prefer low light levels while some need medium or high light. Putting the plant in a spot with the wrong light level can result in the plant having poor performance or failing, so reading the plant light needs is essential.
Watering requirements are also important. Information included with your plant should tell you details such as it does best with moist soil or that the soil should dry between watering. And just like choosing the right light level, watering too much or too little can harm the plant. Fertilizer is also important - some plants need very little fertilizer, others are “heavy feeders” and require specific types and frequent or higher doses while some may need the fertilizer added only at certain times to encourage blooming or fruit production. Following the fertilization requirements and choosing the right type is needed for the best growing results.
If you purchase a plant or receive one as a gift, take a few moments to inspect the top of the leaves, stems and underside of the leaves for pests or disease. If you find insects for example, see the publications below for information on how to identify some of the more common pests and the suggested treatments.
It is also advisable when you wish to add a new plant, and if you are not sure if your plant is infected, isolate it temporarily from your other plants for a week or two to ensure there are no issues. Once the plant seems free of pests or disease, it can safely join your other plants.
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| Photo: Joyce D’Agostino |