These days, there’s a date to honor most anything. From National Dog Day to National Hug Day, we can find more ways to incorporate celebration into our daily lives. Today is Houseplant Appreciation Day. If you’re a plant person already, or you’ve shied away from the responsibility of keeping one alive, this day might bring the opportunity to find one that suits you–or add a new one to the windowsill!
Can bringing something green inside the house benefit your health? It’s true! A 1989 NASA experiment found that certain indoor plants can improve the air quality in a home by absorbing chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air, acting as a natural air filter. A Scandinavian study also has shown that being in an environment with plants can reduce stress and improve blood pressure and heart rate.
Top Indoor Plants For Your Home:
- Pothos: Known for being exceptionally hardy, this plant is good for those who may not have a green thumb. While not the most powerful air-purifying plant, it has some purifying qualities, and can brighten up any spot in the home with its varying leaf colors. (You can see the Pothos that we have living in our Portland shop inside a lobster rope basket at the top of this post.)
- English Ivy: Especially good for absorbing mold in the air. Loves bright light and slightly dry soil, so put it somewhere sunny!
- Boston Fern: Known for being easy to care of, the Boston fern ranked in NASA’s list of air-purifying plants for their ability to remove formaldehyde, plastics, or cigarette smoke from the air–these compounds are absorbed by the fern’s leaves and turned into energy and materials that the plant can use.
- Aloe: Popular for skin care, this succulent is also known for its air benefits. Remember, this plant lives for bright light and can’t survive in standing water, so be sure to allow it to enjoy drier, and sunnier conditions in your home.
- Snake Plant: Absorbs CO2 and converts it into oxygen. It’s a great plant to place in your bedroom because it’ll improve the air quality as you sleep.
There are many more plants to choose from, some with colorful flowers and others that resemble small trees, all with healthy properties that can benefit your day-to-day life.
You can find a few different ways to showcase your new plant friend(s) here at Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine. We have dainty bud vases–some made from clay, others from old silverware–and larger ones fit for a bouquet; varying pottery planters in different patterns and sizes (perfect for a succulent pup or a young houseplant); and Japanese ikebana vases for those who would like to go the artistic route and create their own minimalist flower arrangement. Whether you’re adopting your first plant, searching for that perfect “I Love You” bouquet, or simply appreciating the nature within your home, you can find something to display its beauty here at Lisa-Marie’s.
Remember, happy plants=happy home. 🙂
-Marissa, Assistant Manager Portland