Indoor plants are a great addition to your home if you’re looking for a way to bring the outdoors indoors. Not only are they pretty, but they have a whole host of health benefits. Creating an indoor garden is easier than you might think, even if you don't have a green thumb. So why not go ahead and pick up your first plant!
Here are ten excellent reasons to get some indoor plants:
1. Plants Purify the Air in Your Home
Houseplants help remove harmful indoor pollutants such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, pollen, mold, and more – nasty things that can cause headaches, fatigue, sickness, and allergies. Adding some indoor plants to your apartment will help improve the air quality, leading to overall better health.
2. Plants Help Reduce Stress
Besides the physical benefits of better air quality, there are all sorts of psychological benefits to having plants around. According to a scientific study, participants who had indoor plants experienced significantly fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who did not. Therefore, indoor plants can help reduce stress and improve your overall mood.
3. Plants Brighten Up Your Home
Many apartments have a rather beige color scheme: tan carpet, white walls, and white kitchens. By getting indoor plants, you can add some color and texture...especially if you put them in colorful pots.
4. Small Plants Are Perfect for Décor
People often use small, decorative items, such as ceramic animals and picture frames, to style bookshelves or mantels. But too many of these objects make your space look cluttered. Small houseplants help diversify your décor, plus they can easily fit on a shelf, and they help your apartment feel homier.
5. Plants Help You Celebrate the Seasons
In the summer, you can add tropical leaves and peonies. In the fall, you can add dahlias to fit the theme. In the winter, poinsettias are the perfect winter décor staple. And in the spring, tulips bring the spring season indoors.
6. You Can Have Produce in Your Home
Trying to eat local and organic? You can't get any better than edible plants grown in your own apartment. And the nice thing is, growing plants indoors gives you more options than the weather in your region might allow outside. Start your own little herb garden right at your kitchen window with basil, cilantro, and thyme. Whenever you need some fresh herbs, you can go right to your own little garden and pick some.
7. Plants Help You Save Money
Speaking of which, growing your own plants can save you a nice little chunk of money. There are plenty of plants that have practical purposes beyond decoration, such as aloe for sunburns, herbs for cooking, citronella for mosquito repellent, and tomatoes for eating. You can save a buck or two by growing these things right in your very own apartment.
8. Plants Smell Amazing
If you want to make your place smell good, fresh plants and flowers win over candles or air fresheners any day. Some great fragrant plants you can add to your apartment are lavender, lemon trees, rosemary, mint, and roses.
9. Plants Are Easier Than Pets
There's something fulfilling about taking care of a living thing, but many apartments don't allow pets. Plants can satisfy that need to give something TLC, and they're 100% landlord approved. Plus, they’re easier to care for than a pet. If you have pets and still want to get some indoor plants, be sure to do your research since some plants are poisonous for dogs and cats.
10. You Don’t Need a Green Thumb
Good news: there are a lot of plants that require very little maintenance, like snake plants, air plants, cacti, and pathos. There are also plenty of plant alternatives that require no maintenance: dried plants (like eucalyptus), freshly cut greenery, and flowers. No matter how green your thumb is, you can be a plant parent!
Now that you know all the great benefits, there are no excuses! Go get some plants!
