Plants are an easy addition to spruce up spaces in and around your home, making it warm and full of life. Well-placed plants can transform spaces, purify the air and add a restful ambiance to your home and garden – and studies show that being around greenery improves concentration, boosts your mood and reduces stress levels.
We also know caring for plants does, too.
Whether a single desk plant or an entire garden full of herbs, maintaining plants is a rewarding hobby that offers long-lasting benefits for your physical and mental health.
With wellness in mind, discover ways to incorporate plant care and gardening into spaces that will make it more enjoyable to live, work and play.
For your living room: Fiddle Leaf Fig*
Named after their large, dark green leaves that resemble the shape of a fiddle, fiddle leaf fig trees add height and a notice-me pop of green to any living space. Not only are they a great aesthetic addition, but they’re excellent for purifying the air of allergens. The trees thrive in bright to medium light and prefer normal indoor temperatures. Water only when the surface of the soil is dry or when the leaves start to wilt; you’ll know your tree is happy when its leaves are perked up toward the sun.
For your kitchen: Herbs
Fresh herbs add style to your kitchen and fresh flavor to food and beverages. Rosemary, mint, sage and basil thrive in small terra cotta pots on your sunny windowsill. Tending to your herbs can help relieve daily stress while offering motivation to experiment with new healthy recipes featuring your homegrown harvest.
For your office space: Snake Plant*
It doesn’t get much more stress-free than caring for a snake plant, which is able to grow in a wide-range of lighting conditions and any normal room temperature. Easy to maintain in office spaces at home or work, these plants are the perfect low-maintenance boost of zen. Snake plants are generous producers of oxygen and forgiving of busy lifestyles as they can often go weeks without water.
For your bedroom: Aloe Vera*
Not only are aloe vera plants known for their long-pointed leaves and medicinal properties (hello sunburn relief), they’re also great for purifying the air. In fact, the plants can serve as a monitor of air quality because they’ll display brown spots if something isn’t quite right. They thrive in sunny spaces and at room temperatures.
For your shaded bathroom: Peace Lily*
Peace lilies’ dark leaves and curvy white blossoms are beautiful and easy to grow. Peace lilies thrive in shade and can withstand a variety of temperatures. They’re known for reducing toxins and mold in the air, which makes them the perfect plant for bathrooms or other damp areas of your home.
For your sunroom or patio: Geraniums*
Geraniums are sturdy growers that bloom year-round and only require water when the soil is dry. Walk them out to the patio or porch when the weather warms up and maintain them indoors throughout the winter. Geraniums come in a variety of colors and types, so don’t stress about which to choose. Bring one of each home!
Feel like you don’t have time to maintain a garden at home? Start small with an easy house plant or take a relaxing visit to a local park or arboretum to reap the benefits of being surrounded by green. If you decide to add a plant to your space, research what each variety needs to determine which will be life-giving, not stress-producing. Word of caution: plants on this list with an asterisk (*) can be poisonous to both cats and dogs, so place them out of reach of curious pets. Learn more from ASPCA Animal Poison Control.
Ready to try your hand at your very own plant sanctuary? Click here to download printable house plant care cards to add to your new additions.
