If your home is being slowly overtaken by houseplants, you’re not alone.
While home decor trends over the last few years were already increasing the demand for houseplants, the pandemic has impelled even more people to bring a little of the outside inside.
With all of the lockdowns over the past year, bringing some greenery into our homes allows us to feel we’re amongst nature and gives us something to nurture while we are apart from loved ones.
“Plants are beautiful and make people happy,” says Natasha Kowalski, owner of Cottage Country Flowers. “They are great for mental health and mindfulness, too. They help reduce stress and anxiety as they give us something to care for and give us a new focus. There’s something very calming for me to clean up their dead leaves, check them for water, and mist them daily. I even talk to them sometimes. They just add life to a room!”
Some of the popular plants right now include bird of paradise, fiddle-leaf fig (also known as Ficus lyrata), snake plant (Sansevieria), succulents, and calamondin.
“I am a HUGE plant lover,” adds Kowalski. “I love all species of Ficus, especially the lyrata and alii—I think they are beautiful and surprisingly easy to care for. I also love Sanseveiria. There are so many different varieties to choose from.”
More than just adding beauty to a space, houseplants have a practical use, too.
“Plants improve air quality by taking in carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen, increasing humidity, and removing indoor air pollutants; they can lower stress and improve mood and concentration; and they connect us to our roots by bringing the natural world indoors,” says Molly Hopkins, owner of Jane Marshall Flowers.
Before bringing home a new houseplant, Hopkins says it’s important to think about the location where the plant will be, how much light it will receive, and the size of your space.
“Each plant will have different light and watering requirements, so you need to take that into account, along with the amount of effort you’re willing or able to put in to caring for it,” she says. “I always discuss the light conditions in clients’ homes, along with their experience, before making recommendations on which plants would be best, as everyone is a little different.”
If you don’t have a green thumb, there are still some plants that are easier to care for including pothos, the ZZ plant, and snake plants as they require infrequent watering. Plants such as fiddle-leaf fig or a fern need a lot of water and won’t do well if you forget to tend to them.
Another fun option is a citrus plant because they not only add a pop of colour, but you can grow edible oranges, lemons, and limes in your own home.
Molly Hopkins, owner of Jane Marshall Flowers, says plants can help to reduce stress and improve mood. (Mark Reeder)
“Predictably, my home is a bit of a jungle—a lot of my plants came home with me because they were struggling for one reason or another. My house is a sort of plant hospital. But once they’re rehabilitated, they rarely make it back to the store, as by then they’ve become a part of my family!” says Hopkins. “A few of my all-time favourites are staghorn and maidenhair ferns, Monstera, and my ‘Big Bird’ of Paradise, because it reminds me of the tropics.”
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