Top 10 Houseplants for Houseplant Week UK

Every household deserves to have some of nature’s beauty indoors and buying a houseplant is the perfect way to improve the look of a room, plus they also come with some surprising health benefits too.

 

It can be slightly daunting when choosing a houseplant, questions you’re bound to ask are: “where can I put it?”, “is it easy to look after?” or “which room can I put it in?” … amongst others.

Looking after a houseplant is surprisingly easy, just like any other plant; they need light, water and feed. Indirect sunlight is usually best so a sunny windowsill may not be the best place for them as they might get scorched, however, why not brighten up another part of the room where there’s still plenty of light and your plant will thrive! Each plant will come with its own care instructions so you’ll soon find the best place to grow yours.

Easy To Grow

If you’re a novice to growing houseplants then picking one that’s easy to grow could be the best choice. Many don’t need specialist care and are quite happy in many places around the home. Here are three of the most popular and well known houseplants to get you started:

Spider Plants

The iconic house plant that is as popular now as it has ever been. Spider plants look good as they spill over the edge of their pots and can usually be seen on a high windowsill or on a high shelf where their “babies” hang down on pendulous stalks. Spider plants are also fantastic at cleaning the air in the room.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a firm favourite in many households, being a succulent; it will tolerate some neglect, not requiring regular watering. Aloe also produce their offspring very easily which can be repotted and put in another room! The lovely, distinctive plants also have the added bonus of being filled with vitamins and mineral and are also great for your skin – so you’ll be growing your very own medicine cabinet!

Epipremnum (Devil’s Ivy)

A native of warmer areas such as Australia, Indonesia and India, Devil’s Ivy looks spectacular as it produces masses of arrow shaped leaves that get larger as the plant matures, This easy to keep plant will look great in a well lit corner where it will subtly add much needed natural beauty.

Air Improvers

Many plants in the home have the added benefit of actually purifying the air around you. Some chemicals and pollutants that are found in the air can prevent you from relaxing or sleeping and are also harmful to you in the long term. So bringing lots of plants in that will filter these harmful elements whilst at the same time enriching the air with oxygen will actually improve your well being!

Snake plant – Mother in Law’s Tongue

One of the easiest to grow and the most efficient air purifiers. Sansevieria, also known as the snake plant, or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue is a must for many households. It will grow almost anywhere in the home, surviving happily in lower light than other plants, and will put up with some neglect when it comes to watering. The upright habit of the Snake Plant makes it quite an architectural plant too, perfect for modern dwellings.

Peace Lily

Not only a stunning plant to have in the house, the peace lily helps remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, toluene and xylene from the air, all of which can be found in everyday household products. Requiring very little in the way of attention, place a peace lily away from direct sunlight where it can be enjoyed and let it do its work for you!

Dracaena

Also known as the dragon plant, Dracaena is available in a number of different varieties and are fantastic air purifiers. These plants actually prefer a more shady position as this keeps the leaves in much better condition; direct sunlight causes the leaves to scorch and turn brown.

For the Kitchen or Bathroom

Houseplants that prefer their soil to be kept damp or like to be misted weekly will often thrive in kitchens and bathrooms where the humidity is more often higher than the rest of the house due to steam from baths, showers and cooking. These plants will look amazing in an often quite bare bathroom and certainly add a touch of softness to the most utilitarian of areas.

Croton

Croton absolutely loves the higher humidity levels in warm bathrooms, conservatories, kitchens or even indoor swimming pools! Sometimes called ‘Joseph’s Coat’ due to its technicolour foliage, its large, glossy leaves feature striking patterns in red, gold and green. For maximum impact, a croton is the perfect show-stopper.

Chinese Evergreen

Sometimes referred to as being almost foolproof, Chinese evergreen plants have lovely green leaves that are streaked or dappled with either yellow or white. These are naturally tropical plants so with love the humid conditions of a bathroom or kitchen.

Ferns

Ferns love damp conditions and so will readily thrive in both kitchens and bathrooms where they’ll absorb the humid air and produce magnificent fronds that almost have a prehistoric feel to them. The will sit happily on a shelf away from the window and certainly add character to any room!

Sheer Indulgence

No piece on indoor plants would be complete with mentioning orchids. They’re hard to beat for the pleasure of seeing the stunning blooms, the arching stems and the complete grace and beauty of these wonderful houseplants. Orchids are possibly one of the most exotic blooms available to us and yet are not as difficult to look after as many people believe. Well worth having one on display for the pleasure it will bring to you every time you see it.

 

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