An interior decorators delight, a home owner’s pride, natures air purifiers, mood enhancers - all adjectives fall short in describing the value of plants in our homes and lives.
When you are exasperated with the summer heat and take refuge in the artificial air of the air conditioner – you increase your energy footprint, and your living costs exorbitantly. “What do I do?” you ask.
There is hope. It might come to you as a pleasant surprise that plants help in reducing the heat, significantly, studies claim. Therefore, for all of us, even the ones who live in apartments, indoor plants are a blessing, and they come in a range of options - ornamental pint-sized bonsai plants to lush palms.
Pick your favourites from:
Umbrella tree Pretty and maintenance free, these can stay with you for years.
Peace Lily These flowers bloom most heavily during summer and continue to bloom moderately throughout the year. Low light and low humidity – this is all it takes for them to thrive.
Cacti The modest and undemanding, the cactus plant is a great addition to your home garden. They can prosper in the toughest conditions and are available in more than 1,000 varieties.
Aloe Vera The healing properties of Aloe Vera are not alien to us but what we don’t know is that it is also an air purifier - absorbing airborne pathogens and pollutants – commonplace in summers. Aloe Vera thrives with sunlight and moderate watering.
Money plant Common to most home gardens, a money plant is believed to bring good luck. It is easy to maintain and grows in the soil as well as in water, with minimal care. Moderate sunlight and water are enough for it to adorn your home with greenery.
Yarrow Yet another colourful and affable plant to have in your home is Yarrow. These bloom throughout the summer and can continue to do so past the season if you prune them regularly.
Spider plant This plant combats chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene. All it needs is a little care - make sure you use well-drained soil and do not make the soil soggy.
Hibiscus It is also known as rose-mallow and toxin cleaner. The plant and its flowers have many advantages. An outdoor plant essentially, the hibiscus flowers bloom from late spring until frost, but the plants stay fresh and green throughout the year.
Dracaena An indoor plant essentially, Dracaena can grow to quite a height, so make sure it is planted at a spot that allows enough space for it to spread. The leaves absorb and destroy various organic chemicals through a process known as a metabolic breakdown.
Areca Palm
This tall leafy buddy of ours grows well in indirect sunlight and is easy to maintain. Moderate watering is enough for it to survive endlessly.
Did you know this secret to crisp, gleaming plants? ‘The wet garbage generated in your home’ – it’s got plant magic. Waste like spinach stalks, banana peels, vegetable waste, etc. just grind the wet waste (barring the cooked food) to a paste. Add water and just pour it into the soil and you will see your plants transform.
