Therapeutic Houseplants and a Handy Plant Hack

January is over! Yay! We’re one month closer to spring. And the way I handle the winter months while waiting for warmer weather is with therapeutic houseplants.

 

It’s the first Saturday of the month which means it’s time for sharing about cozy living with my blogging friends. You’ll find links to their hygge style living ideas at the bottom of this post.

Plants in my house put a smile on my face when I see them. They truly lift my spirits and they purify the air, so I know having them around is a good thing.

 

I’ve had this Bird’s Nest fern for about a year now and it’s still doing great. I water it just a little bit every few days. The smaller plant is a curly-cue spider plant. I have a regular spider plant that’s getting some TLC because my kitties like to chew on its leaves. So it’s high up on a shelf for now.

 

This Philodendron Brasil is one of my favorite plants ever and it’s sooooo easy to care for. Honestly, watering is the biggest thing to be diligent about growing healthy houseplants. Over-watering is probably the biggest killer because the roots will rot and when that happens, there’s pretty much no turning back.

 

Here’s my newest plant – a pretty Hoya with a beautiful trailing habit. I put it in my copper bottom black pot. Pairing plants with the right container is fun and I like to use a variety of containers.

 

Look at the subtle speckled pattern on its leaves. I just love this little guy!

 

Here’s my other Hoya that I almost lost! It was in my bedroom and I kind of forgot about it and it lost a lot of leaves. But I’m nursing it back to life and it’s doing much better. Its leaves are variegated and sometimes take on a pink hue – look closely at the bottom leaves.

 

Here’s another Philodendron – this one is a Micans. In the background is my snake plant. If you’re nervous about getting some therapeutic houseplants in your home, try the snake plant. They don’t mind if you forget to water them and are super low-maintenance.

 

My secret to growing healthy plants is to pay attention to their leaf behavior. My nerve plant will droop when it’s thirsty. Philodendrons and Pothos can go at least a week without water. Make sure their soil dries out in between waterings. If you water them too much, the leaves become lifeless.

This gorgeous Staghorn Fern is my newest plant acquisition. It’s like a Philodendron and requires only weekly watering. So pretty!

 

The Staghorn is sharing the mantel with my wooden mushrooms.

 

And now I have a plant hack for you to help keep your houseplants looking healthy. My dieffenbachia sometimes gets brown tips on its leaves, and sometimes brown spots show up in the middle of the leaf and spread.

 

So I get out my scissors and gently cut the brown tip off, cutting a curve to make it look like I didn’t cut anything off.

 

Most people don’t know it’s okay to trim the leaves, but it makes the plant look so much better. It’s also a good idea to dust the leaves on occasion.

 

I put my Dieffenbachia outside during the summer months and it really perks up and gets healthy growth. He doesn’t like being indoors so much, but I keep this plant by my largest window and keep the soil evenly moist.

In addition to trimming its leaves when needed, I cut off the leaves that get the big brown spots on them.

 

My therapeutic houseplants help get me through the winter. They’re a reminder that soon there will be green growth outside. And while I’m waiting for that day, I can enjoy and fiddle with my plants to get my gardening fix.

 

Do you have a favorite type of houseplant? I’d love to hear what it is!

Be sure to visit my blogging friends to see what cozy ideas they have for the month of February!

 

Linzer Heart Cookies by Sincerely Marie Designs / Vintage Bottle Labels by Vinyet Etc. / Family Pizza Night by Finding Silver Pennies / Kitchen Pantry Organization by Creative Cain Cabin

 

DIY Beginner Dishcloth by Making It in the Mountains / Low Maintenance Houseplants by Duke Manor Farm / Chocolate Chip Muffins by Hymns and Verses / Therapeutic Houseplants by Town and Country Living