Do your regular weekend plans include at least one trip to the nursery? Do you name your plants, and even talk to them sometimes? Are all of your birthday presents green and leafy? You might have a plant addiction. I have one too, and I’m about to enable you because I firmly believe this addiction is a positive one! If, on the other hand, you have killed countless plants, including the ones that are “impossible to kill,” take heart! I used to be you. For me it was a matter of making watering a normal part of my routine and figuring out (through a lot of failure) which plants can thrive with my home’s sunlight. Keep reading to find out why you can never have too many plants.
Color – If white walls, linen sheets, and neutral furniture are your MO, then plants are the perfect way to introduce color into your home. You’re not committing to a bold paint color or a trending wallpaper. These literally never go out of style.
Height – Tables, chairs, beds – all of this furniture is around the same height, and I find that my eye tends stop here. Plants are a useful way to bring life to “dead” space, like the corner of a room or on top of a bookshelf. You don’t have to buy a tree (those can be expensive) but you can raise your plant up by putting it on a stand, like the concrete pedestal, or even by hanging one from the ceiling. I recommend a bird of paradise for this purpose, because they’re fairly inexpensive and grow very tall.
A feeling of accomplishment – Tending to plants is a process, and when you find your first flower bud, a new little leaf, or even when you realize that your plant is still green after a few months, there is a great sense of accomplishment! It’s a small, quiet pleasure, but I think it’s exactly what we need in our often over-stimulated days.
Guilt-free, sustainable shopping – Instagram, daily emails, and beautiful blogs are always giving me the urge to buy a new pair of shoes or try a new lipstick shade; but let’s be honest I have enough lip products in my purse to wear a different color every day for a week. But I never look at a plant in my home with the tinge of guilt that I feel when I look at a trendy pair of heels I don’t wear often enough.
Air quality* – I have often read that indoor plants improve the air quality and can purify your air of the types of chemicals that coat new carpets and furniture, but I have also read opposing opinions that challenge the NASA study that reported this finding. I also couldn’t find recommendations on just how many plants it takes for a certain area, so I’ll let you do your own research and decide, but I figure it certainly can’t hurt the air quality.
Sources: Photo via Homes to Love, linen chandelier by Civico Quattro, but check out these DIY instructions to make your own, table and chairs Anthropologie, flower shaped wine glasses Zara Home, cranes garden print United Thread, round mirror Overstock, black basket Zara Home, concrete pedestal cb2
