Green Plants in Home

Past few months I’ve been growing something in me– an obsession– an obsession I’m sure many have come to realize as well. It all started on Pinterest when I ran into a photo of green plants everywhere in the home– I swear it looked like a botanical garden. It was from that moment my searches on Pinterest shifted gears to making my home into a secret garden! Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but damn near close. I’m still amazed at how long it took me to really love plants since my mom always had plants around the house and was a gardening nut.

Why this obsession? Not only do they look great and purify your home, but place big or small plants anywhere in your home and it instantly turns your home into a spacious and cleaner area. Place them on shelves, books, vases, floors, your head for crying out loud! Trust me. With all those ideas in mind I had my shopping lists of where I could get them– Marshalls , TJ Maxx and Ikea and yes I went to all three with no luck. I did get two small artificial plants for the bedroom, but not the big leafy ones. There were ones I didn’t want or they were torn so I came home empty handed and sad, very sad. My jungle wasn’t happening fast enough and I couldn’t stop from going back to Pinterest and browsing some more because ya know Pinterest is where fair tales comes true. I did run into articles that spoke on the benefits of plants, where plants shouldn’t be located and just fun facts.

We all know that plants are nature’s first air purifier. They can help remove dangerous compounds from fuels, furnishings, and clothing– and here I thought they did way less then that. Like pets, plants have different personalities and needs. Some are toxic to cats and dogs while others need a lot more care. I’m one to always kill a plant, well, I once was, that obviously will change. I was on the fence whether to get real or fake plants because of my murderous tendencies, having an adventurous kid and a wandering infant. Also, my mom mentioned that there shouldn’t be any real plants in the bedroom. Here Dr. Mao explains it– “The light initiates a process of photosynthesis whereby green plants convert energy from the sun to transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. However, plants can’t produce glucose, carbohydrates and oxygen without light. To get through the night, most plants reverse the process of photosynthesis and breathe, like you and I, by burning carbohydrates and oxygen while producing carbon dioxide and water.” So either get fake plants in your room or just move them out of your room when your going down for bed.

Then you run into the issue of which plants to get– some need a lot of care, others can be forgotten at times and others can be dangerous to your pets. I know, I couldn’t believe how needy these suckers were. If you’re into feng shui (balancing the energy in your space)– even if you’re not– why not try these gorgeous plants as reference?

– Areca Palm
– Lady Palm
– Bamboo Palm
– Rubber Plant
– Dracaena Janet Craig
– English Ivy
– Dwarf Date Palm
– Ficus Alii
– Boston Fern
– Peace Lily