By Ava Green
Usually, by the time February or March rolls around, I’m pretty tired of the health crazes like extreme diets and exercise plans I’ve been trying for the fifth year in a row. This year, let’s take a look at something that naturally supports our good health, both mental and physical. It’s time to stop and “smell the flowers,” so to speak.
Mental and Physical Health
Many gardeners already realize this, but studies are showing that simply seeing greenery can benefit our mental health. Whether it's a walk in the woods or a handful of houseplants, seeing green leaves makes a difference for humans! Research shows that it helps boost our mood and improve how we get along with people. Who doesn’t need a mood booster during cold, dark days? And getting along with people, well, the world just needs more of that, too, doesn’t it?
You may also already know that tending to plants reduces stress, but did you know that science is proving it? PubMed published a study stating:
"Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: a randomized crossover study."
This isn’t the common thinking about working outside in the garden increasing physical strength and stamina. It’s a study that examines our autonomic nervous system, the one responsible for automatic and essential bodily functions we don’t even think about, like breathing. The study compared participants performing two tasks: one on a computer and the other doing plant transplanting. The results suggest that interaction with plants indeed reduce stress without us even thinking about it! No task that requires willpower, just daily tending to plants like transplanting, watering, dusting, pruning, or turning the pots to get sun on the flipside.
So plants boost our mood, improve interactions with others and physically reduce our stress levels without us even trying. It’s no wonder we just feel better when we’re around plants.
Air Quality
Research also shows that indoor air pollution is often worse than outdoor air pollution. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from washing detergents, paint, furnishings, and building materials, as well as bacteria, fungal spores, and dust, negatively affect human health.
Fresh air can counter the impact of indoor pollutants, but often it’s too cold to open the windows in the middle of winter. When you can’t let fresh air into the house, indoor plants will help. We know that growing trees outdoors has a massive impact on air quality and the health of the planet, and inside our home, tropical plants contribute in the same way. The contribution of each type of plant varies, so having a variety is a very good idea.
What to Grow
Here’s a list of easy-to-grow, green indoor plants that Eising’s resident tropical plant expert, Courtney, and the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommend:
Aglaonema ‘Silver Queen’ (Chinese evergreen ‘Silver Queen’)
Aspidistra elatior (common Aspidistra, Cast Iron plant)
Chamaedorea elegans (Parlour Palm)
Chamaedorea seifrizii (Bamboo Palm)
Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant)
Crassula ovata (syn. Crassula portulacea) (Jade plant, Jade tree)
Dracaena fragrans ‘Janet Craig’ (Dragon Plant)
Dieffenbachia ‘Tropic Snow’ (v) (Dumb Cane)
Dracaena marginata (v) (Madagascar dragon tree)
Epipremnum aureum and ‘Marble Queen’
Ferns - many types
Ficus elastica (Rubber tree, Rubber plant)
Hedera helix (English ivy, common ivy)
Howea forsteriana (Flat Palm, Kentia palm)
Rhapis excelsa (Bamboo Palm, Lady Palm)
Sansevieria (Snake Plant) - many types
Spathiphyllum sp. (Peace Lily)
Syngonium podophyllum (Nephthytis)
Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ plant, fern arum)
Is there a downside to having houseplants? Yes, if you have small children or pets, be mindful of the plants that can be toxic if ingested (see resources listed below).
While many of us in Ontario focus on “nice” weather and getting outside to garden, it’s pretty clear that our indoor plants do much of the heavy lifting to improve our health through the cooler seasons. Even if you don’t have a “green thumb”, it’s worth giving tropical, indoor houseplants their well-deserved space in our homes, hospitals, offices, nursing homes, classrooms, restaurants…or any indoor space!
Resources:
PubMed study on indoor plants and their impact on human stress - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4419447/
Sally Augustin, PhD, Environmental Psychologist - https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/people-places-and-things/201802/benefits-of-the-indoor-plant
RHS - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/houseplants/for-human-health
For a list of indoor plants and the VOCs they have the potential to reduce, PubMed review article by Dela Cruz et al., 2014 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25056742/
PETAs list of plants that are safe for pets: https://www.peta.org/living/humane-home/animal-friendly-houseplants/?utm_source=PETA::Google&utm_medium=Ad&utm_campaign=0422::veg::PETA::Google::SEA-Vegan-Grant::::searchad&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=96533821&gbraid=0AAAAADu2DAt3SGF9vPRkHJqkNw-eZ6kEH&gclid=CjwKCAiAvaLLBhBFEiwAYCNTf9nyavbUnefHx0FaUekq4HZyXPrIwYhnJqgnu_g_TPea3nExhT-jOhoCqLUQAvD_BwE
RHS list of safest plants for children: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/houseplants/houseplants-for-children
You read that right. Easy houseplants exist, and there are some very cool varieties too. Easy does not mean boring!
Plenty of tropical plants are forgiving and require little fussing—you just need to know which ones and how to care for them.
These plants are generally resilient and forgiving of occasional neglect, making them perfect choices for new growers. When choosing any houseplant, consider your home's lighting conditions and the care you can provide.
Pothos
Pothos vine is one of the easiest houseplants to grow and is perfect for beginners.
Bright and indirect light is what this plant loves, but it will also grow in low light - just not no light.
Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Too much moisture will cause the roots to rot. The plant’s leaves will droop and let you know when it needs a drink!
Feed Pothos with a balanced fertilizer monthly in Spring and Summer only to keep it thriving.
Ponytail Palm
Give this plant the brightest location in the house. It loves full sun or bright, indirect light. They will survive to 10 Celsius, but this plant loves warmer temperatures.
Be careful not to overwater Ponytail Palms. Because water is stored in the bulbous stem, they only need a drink every 7 to 10 days during the summer. In the winter, cut back to monthly watering.
Use a slow-release pellet fertilizer in the Spring for carefree maintenance.
Trimming the tips off damaged leaves will keep them healthy.
Peace Lily
This plant loves filtered or indirect sun (place it a few feet away from a sunny window or in an east-facing window) and moderately moist soil.
While Peace Lilies love moist and warm conditions, keeping them under-watered is best. Use your finger to check the soil’s moisture. Water this plant when the top inch of soil has dried out.
Use slow-release fertilizer pellets in the Spring or feed the soil weekly during the summer with liquid fertilizer. This plant enjoys frequent feeding during the growing season.
Spider Plant
Spider plants are straightforward to grow. They prefer an area with partial sun or semi-shade that is warm.
Keep the soil lightly moist, not soggy!
Use an all-purpose fertilizer during the summer months. Trim off any brown leaves as needed.
Snake Plant
Indirect sun (a few feet away from a sunny window) or a couple hours of early morning sun will keep this plant happy. These tropicals thrive in warm temperatures with no cold drafts.
Do not allow your Snake plant to sit in water! Water deeply, then let it drain only when the soil is dry.
A 10-10-10 balanced fertilizer at half strength once in the spring and again in mid-summer is all the plant food it needs!
One Final Tip
Most houseplants do not like chlorinated or treated tap water. If possible, water your plants with filtered, distilled, or rainwater. If you only have access to tap water, allow it to sit in an open container for several days until the chlorine evaporates.
Following these simple guidelines will keep your plants healthy, and in return, they will provide natural beauty to your home.
If dull days have you feeling a little down, a fresh, green, tropical plant might just be the tonic to inject some life into your living space and brighten things up.
Go Green
Spring flowers are beautiful, but the hero of Spring is the abundance of green. As everything comes back to life, it’s the colour that begins to envelop us, and it just makes the world look so much better again.
Adding greenery to your home can have that same overall effect! If you’re new to houseplants, there’s really something for everyone. There are tropical plants that can be very easy to grow and require very little attention. Plant care (how often they need water) and conditions (how much light they need) are two main factors to think about when choosing the best indoor plants for you.
Here are four beautiful houseplants to consider:
Snake Plant
Dracaena trifasciata or Snake Plant is a very hardy indoor plant, some say nearly indestructible. It will grow in almost any amount of light - dark to bright, so it can be placed virtually anywhere in your home. These tough plants require very little water - only water them if the soil feels dry. Overwatering may lead to root rot, so save your love and attention for something else, your Snake Plant just needs a little sip now and then.
ZZ Plant
Wondering why the strange name? Technically its name is Zamioculcas zamiifolia…so let’s stick with ZZ! This is another easy to care for house plant. It likes bright, indirect light and some water every couple of weeks. Basically, a drink whenever the soil dries out. Not bad for a plant that looks like its shiny leaves have had a spa day.
Spider Plant
Spider Plants are predominantly known for their graceful arching foliage, but they do send out a stem of small, star-shaped flowers fairly regularly on mature plants adding to the beauty of this popular house plant. Bright indirect light is where it thrives, and it does enjoy regular watering. Humidity can also help the Spider Plant stay healthy which makes it a great candidate for a bathroom with a shower or tub in it.
String of Pearls
Tiny, pea shaped leaves that look like pearls on a string make this a very unique houseplant. Unique may be a code word for: this one needs a little more attention. It’s best grown in a plant hanger or on a shelf where its trailing lengths of pearls are undisturbed. Morning light is best, not full light in the heat of the afternoon. During its growing season in Spring and Summer, keep the soil moist. It can be watered less in the winter. This is a plant that you can talk to each day while you give it a little drink, and it may become a very loyal friend. String of Hearts or other succulent, trailing vines are also plants to consider when you come in to shop and you’re liking the sound of this one.
When you do come into the store to see us, we can help with any other questions that you may have, like whether or not fertilizer is recommended and when to repot. Or, read this article on Tropical Plant Care.
When you pick out your new tropicals, we also have a great selection of decorative pots to place your new plants in to enhance your decor.
Eising Exotics
If you’re looking for a really special feature plant, or maybe to make your garden or pool area feel like you’ve been transported to a southern paradise, it’s time to pre-order larger palms and tropical plants! Shopping for these tropicals will surely make you feel like warm Summer breezes are just around the corner. Visit the Eising Exotics page now to view what’s available and place your pre-order.
With all the extra time we've been spending indoors, now is a good time to start collecting air-cleaning houseplants. Many of us are craving some fresh spring air, but these natural air purifiers are the next best thing. We often underestimate just how powerful our plants can be — after all, they look like they're just sitting there. In fact, they're constantly in a cycle of soaking up carbon dioxide, airborne pollutants, and toxic compounds like carbon monoxide and turning it into fresh oxygen for us to breathe.
If all this time inside is making you feel a bit groggy or stuffed up, you'll definitely want to check out these five ultra-efficient air-cleaning houseplants—and we carry them all at our garden centre in Simcoe!
5 Air Cleaning Houseplants For A Healthier Home
Houseplants aren't just lovely to look at; they're like full-time cleaning staff who work in exchange for a little water and sunlight. NASA actually relies on air-cleaning houseplants for maintaining the air quality on their space shuttles! If the air in your home has been smelling less-than-fresh, snag some of these specimens for your home:
Spider Plant: This stringy, stripey plant is always a favourite — after all, it's pretty cool when your houseplant keeps sprouting new baby plants over and over again! By keeping your spider plant in a smaller container, it will be compelled to reproduce, resulting in tiny little plants. You can pluck and transplant these seedlings into bigger pots where they will grow into whole plants. Before you know it, you'll have tons of miniature spider plants to place all around the house for maximum purification power!
Peace Lily: There's something so elegant and pure about this houseplant, with its clean, white, single-petalled blooms. It looks like it jumped right off the canvas of a Georgia O'Keefe painting! The Peace Lily is also a wizard at making toxins disappear, filtering out harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene. It also doesn't need very much sunlight, so if you don't have too many windows in your house, you can still easily grow this lovely flower indoors.
Snake Plant: This distinctive houseplant has recently seen a massive surge in popularity. Snake Plants, or Sansevieria, are some of the easiest plants to care for, and it's a total powerhouse when it comes to filtering the air. You can find some impressively large snake plants, but their flat, wavy leaves grow perfectly upright, so they don't take up too much room. You also won't need to water it very often— it doesn't enjoy soggy soil, and it really won't mind if you neglect it a bit.
Boston Fern: For an instant boost in energy and vibrance in your home, these big, shaggy ferns fit the bill. They look fabulous in hanging baskets, but they're also great on pedestals and floating shelves, so their long leaves can trail elegantly downward. The sheer number of leaves on this colossal fern makes it one of the most effective air cleaning houseplants around, so it's sure to breathe new life into your home's interior. They do prefer a bit of humidity, so if the air is a bit dry in your home, it will help to mist the plant daily or plug in a humidifier.
Chinese Evergreen: There are so many different varieties of this wide-leafed houseplant — some have emerald green leaves with speckles of silver, some have cream coloured stripes, and others have vibrant red accents. Also known as the aglaonema, this much-loved houseplant will keep the air feeling clear and funk-free. Water it generously every week or two, making sure that the soil is loose and fast-draining, and the container has adequate drainage holes.
You'll be amazed at the difference these air-cleaning houseplants make within your four walls! Something about fresh oxygen and lush, green houseplants wakes up the brain and gives your mood an instant boost. Looking to pick up some more houseplants to go along with these air-purifying powerhouses? Give us a call at our garden centre! We're happy to process your order over the phone and arrange for contact-free curbside pickup.