Stunning indoor plants to liven up your house

An indoor plant in the right spot can revitalise a room and bring it to life.

With the large collection of indoor plants on offer these days, choosing the best place for your greenery can be difficult.

Areas with higher moisture levels, such as the bathroom and laundry, are ideal for most plants.

Choosing the right spot for your plants will ensure long-term survival.

Moisture & humidity

While it might be tempting to place plants where they look the most pleasing, other factors should be taken into consideration.

Owner of Richmond nursery, Glasshaus, Paul Hyland says it’s crucial that plants are placed in the correct rooms and environments to ensure their survival.

Hyland says areas with higher moisture levels, such as the bathroom and laundry, are ideal for most plants especially if they are tropical.
plant

“Generally there are rooms where there’s just not a lot of moisture,” he says.

“As a general rule, the higher the relative humidity the better the plant. The plants enjoy humidity between 50-70%.  And often in a house, that can be as low as 20-30%- that’s not comfortable for plants.”

For the humid areas of the home, Hyland recommends ferns and orchids due to their ability to thrive under wet conditions.

Here are some great plants for those humid areas:

• Upside down ferns
• Asparagus ferns
• Maiden hair ferns
• Phalaenopsis orchids
• Dendrobium orchids

Paul Hyland says most plants require between 50-70% of moisture. Photo: Glasshaus

Perfect for the bathroom window, ivy thrives in wet conditions.

It can grow long and lush, especially alongside the window frame with optimal sunlight.
ivy

Amazing air plants

Air plants are versatile as they don’t need to be stored in pots.

Because they receive their nutrients from the air instead of soil, they can be planted in anything from ceramic to porcelain.

Air plants are perfect for less-savvy gardeners. Warmer weather and constant air circulation will help ensure these plants survive for years to come.
airplant

Botanical bedrooms 

Known as one of the easiest plants in the home to maintain, Peace Lilies are the ideal low-maintenance plant. Popular for their ability to bloom regularly, lilies are perfect for bedrooms as they are effective at cleansing the air.

Hyland says Peace Lilies can thrive in low-light conditions, such as bedrooms, and are easy to grow.

“You need to keep potting them as they just love to keep growing, so don’t let the potting mix go stale.” he says.

The horticulturalist recommends feeding the lilies once a month with liquid fertiliser. Plants should also be watered regularly especially when they begin to sag – a classic sign of dehydration.

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The Pachira Aquatica, or the ‘Money Tree’ is another plant that thrives in indoor conditions.

Some plant-lovers say it is impossible to kill. It won’t die if it’s over watered, as it loves wet soil.

Money trees can grow as large or small as you want them and make a wonderful tree that can compliment your bedroom and any other room of your house.

Kitchen

Aloe Vera is a popular succulent is a low-maintenance plant that originated in harsh desert environments.

It is also known as a wonder plant due to a high nutrient and mineral content. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and medicinal properties that can treat anything from sunburn to inflammation.

Aloe Vera works great in small, sunny indoor spaces and could make the perfect centrepiece for your kitchen table.

Other popular kitchen plants include:

• Rhipsalis
• Hoya
• Zanzibar

More tips: Decorate with indoor plants

Plants & pets

Be careful with the plants you place around the house if you have pets.

Some indoor plants can prove to be fatal for your pets.

Many plants pose a danger for cats, particularly lilies due to the toxic nature of the flowers. Asian, Easter, Glory and the aforementioned Peace Lillies are just a few species that can cause acute renal failure and even death.

Other plants can be dangerous to you dog. Brunfelsia is a plant that can be fatal, especially if your canine ingests the fruit which comes after flowering. This plant should be fenced off, or removed immediately.

If a pet is showing signs of depression, lethargy, weakness, an increased heart rate or vomiting, it may have ingested poisons and should be taken to a vet immediately.

Safety first: 9 hazard zones for pets around the home

In saying this, pet owners shouldn’t be too alarmed. As a general rule, plants don’t usually cause a problem, says to Hyland.

“The best bet is for people to search the botanical name, to see if the plants that’s dangerous for pets.”

“Animals are pretty smart, so it’s pretty rare for them to eat anything that’s not good for them. They have an innate nature, they know what to eat and what not to eat,” he says.
pets