In recent years, there has been a gradual increase of home offices. People choose to work from home for a variety of reasons, be it for convenience, for their health, due to the nature of their work, or for personal circumstances. Having a workable and inspiring living space is at the top of many people’s priorities, and one way to do that is to grow some greenery.
Having indoor plants around the house brings you a multitude of benefits. Not only are they a splendid sight to behold, they also help purify the air, freshen up your work space, and, according to research, inspire you and enable you to focus better. One may first be a little skeptical about how to have your plant grow well indoors. Creating a loving home for your plants to thrive takes a little careful consideration and planning, but once you’ve gotten hold of the basics, managing your indoor gardening will be a piece of cake.
How to Make a Home that Plants Will Love
Understanding your plant needs is a must, when it comes to indoor gardening.
The first thing to consider is: where? Where would you like to place your plant? If your plant enjoys high humidity levels, they can live quite happily in the bathroom. For plants that prefer a drier climate, other rooms may fare better.
Finding the right temperature and shading your plant needs can help create the best conditions for your plant. If your plant can sustain direct sunlight or even thrive better under it, opt for the balcony or rooms with large windows. However, if bright, indirect light is preferred, placing your plant in a more shaded corner of the room would be fantastic.
You can easily create a plant-loving living room. Different plants with different needs can go in their respective corners. Natural lighting is brilliant, but if your room is a little darker than most, LED lights will do the trick.
Remembering to water your plants when they need it is a vital part of plant care. If you worry you will forget, keep everything together and well-organised in a notebook or on your digital device to remind yourself.
Indoor Plants that will Thrive in Your Home
Since Urban Plants Hong Kong strongly recommends you to keep some plants in your home for your well-being, we’ve got a few top favourites to share with you.
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Calathea Roseopicta ($299): These indoor decorative foliage plants are beautiful and have stunning leaf patterns. Their distinctive striped leaves with a dark green border give them an exotic appeal. To the beginner gardener, these plants may seem a little wild and intimidating, but they are actually relatively low-maintenance. Give them bright, indirect sunlight and water every three to four days and they’ll be hunky dory!
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Ctenanthe ($450): Native to Central and South America, the indoor Ctenanthe plant is quite the looker! It is a bushy, evergreen perennial shrub, commonly known as the fishbone prayer plant. Those who adore it will know about its delightfully large leaves. This glorious plant displays its leaves during the day, but when night falls, they fold up like a pair of ‘prayer hands’. Water the plant every three to four days to keep it going.
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Zebra Plant ($550): The zebra plant, also known as the aphelandra squarrosa, is not only loved for its unique leaf-pattern, but also for its colourful flowers. A tropical plant from Brazil, it is indeed an exotic plant and is perfect for purifying your home or home office. It is fairly easy to keep; make sure your pot drains well and add a tray filled with water and pebbles to place beneath it for extra humidity.