The plants in the corner of the room are drooping, reminding you that you forgot to water them on the weekend. Your Boston Fern keeps discarding its delicate leaflets, requiring you to sweep or drag out your vacuum several times a week to clean up. Most of us have little time for watering, misting, fertilizing, adding artificial lighting during the winter months and keeping the pets and children out of the dirt. Is it really worth having plants in your home?
It’s long been accepted that plants bring natural warmth into your home, creating a calming effect that your family and your guests will treasure. And the variety of choices means that they will become an instant conversation topic and point of interest. Plants brighten our homes, creating a psychological benefit and embellishing our decoration schemes.
Purchasing silk plants can enable us to enjoy the benefits of nature that they can offer. Artificial plants look good all year long, needing no care from us except an occasional dusting. They need no pruning or trimming, they never lose their leaves, and they are safe around children and pets. And, you don’t need to ask a neighbour to come in and water them while you are away on vacation. They can be expensive, though. That graceful six-foot-tall silk bamboo tree that you want beside your sofa will likely cost you $200. And even a table-top palm will be over $35. However, when you consider their versatility and convenience you may feel it’s worth the cost. They are, after all, an investment in your decorating scheme, and you won’t need to replace them for a long time. What’s more, you can stick them outside on the patio in the summer.
You can greatly enhance the decor of your rooms with graceful artificial plants. Consider a tall arrangement on the floor on either side of your fireplace, or a pretty centre piece on a sofa table. And just for fun, why not purchase one or two smaller ones which are bursting with ever-lasting blooms, such as an African Violet. It’s so much easier than coaxing the flowering stage of a natural plant, putting it in just the right light and mixing fertilizer when watering, only to have the blooms die off in a few short weeks and the plant go into a long dormant period.
However, there are people who love their natural plants and seem to have an affinity for getting them to produce long, luscious leaves, with frequent flowering periods featuring a mass infusion of healthy blooms. They take great pride in their collection of natural, thriving plants. There are also many advantages to having live plants in your home.
First is the removal of harmful pollutants from the air and replacement with fresh oxygen.
As improved construction methods have made our homes more energy-efficient, indoor air lingers for hours. Natural plants such as the Spider Plant and the Bamboo Palm have been proven to purify the air as they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis. Others include Chinese Evergreen, Snake Plant and Weeping Fig.
Watching a natural plant grow and flourish brings you pleasure as you see tiny buds form and enlarge, then burst into colourful blossoms. You can stay with a preferred species such as orchids or violets, or purchase different ones for additional interest. Even if you don’t choose flowering plants, you can get a huge variety of leaves, some variegated, some with splotches of colour, and numerous shades of green.
It’s really up to individual residents to consider how much time, energy and expense they are willing to give to caring for natural plants. Weigh out the pros and cons of natural versus artificial, but either way, beautiful your house and your life with plants.
