0 items - Plants To Make your Home Happy
House Plants in Northern Ireland are becoming more and more popular and the surge in recent years is so great to see, because there are so many benefits to having plants in your home.
Plants are so important to our health and wellbeing both inside and outside the home. Plants can boost happiness, clean the air you breath and have a calming effect which could help us sleep better.
Plants clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide that our bodies do not need and release oxygen. They also release phytochemicals that suppress mould spores, toxins and bacteria in the air. Extensive research by NASA has revealed that houseplants can remove up to 87 per cent of air toxin in 24 hours.
Studies have also proven that indoor plants improve concentration and productivity , reduce stress levels and boost your mood — making them perfect for not just your home but your work space, too.
Some plants switch to releasing carbon dioxide and absorbing oxygen at night so they may not be suitable in the bedroom. Succulents, Orchids, and Aloe Vera are an exception to this so make these your choice.
Succulents are also great for workspaces, they can really jazz up your desk without taking up too much space, and are very easy to look after.
These can be a great addition to your kitchen and will allow you to grow your own herbs, fruit, and veggies from seed. Some say they are a gardener’s best friend.
Growing your own food has has many benefits too, its healthy, saves money and gives you a sense of accomplishment. When your mental health benefits so does our physical health.
With plants around you the air is cleaner which can give your immune system a natural boost, that could very well be the reason that house plants Northern Ireland wide are in high demand.
I am a huge fan of large plants and living walls indoors, it is the perfect way to add some interest to your home and create different levels.
If little house plants give you all those health benefits we talked about, imagine what large ones will do!
Go for plants like Monstera (the swiss cheese plant), Boston Ferns, Fiddle Leaf Figs, Areca palms and Rubber plants for the giant effect.
If you’re looking to shop local, a great place for these type of plants is www.mementofloraldesign.com based on the Ormeau Road in Belfast. They have a great variety and the staff are full of information on what to go for and how to love your plants.
I know we don’t all have a giant wall like the image below, but it was just too cool not to share.
These are fun to make and allow you to have a tiny indoor garden. There’s no better feeling than creating your own garden and watching it grow. Click the image to book yourself onto a locally run workshop and create your own.
Parenting your Plants
Watering – what ever you do, do not over water your plants, you can save a dry plant but you cannot save a plant that has been overwatered, root rot sets in and its bye bye plant baby.
The easiest way to find out if your plant needs watered is if you poke your finger into the soil about two thirds of the way up your finger, and if the soil sticks, and feels damp it doesn’t need watered. However, because humidity affects plants especially with central heating it is good to give the leaves a wee mist with water to keep it happy.
Diagnosis – If your plant looks sick and you have no idea why download the Picture This app (https://www.picturethisai.com/) Its also great if you are out and about and you see a plant but are unsure what it is called, just take a picture and let the app do the rest. kind of like shazam for the plant world.
Talk to them – When people say they talk to their plants to help them grow, it is not because they like a wee story or two (although maybe they do who really knows), it’s because they thrive on the carbon dioxide we breathe out and then we thrive on their oxygen. Everybody wins!
Any important part of interior design is adding elements into the home that add positivity and function to a space and plants are certainly a huge part of creating the right mood and tone in interior design.