Lifestyle: 4 easy to care for plants to help with wellbeing.

Most of us spend at least half of our lives at home and therefore our environment at home can really matter. Houseplants are excellent at helping us have healthier homes and connecting us to nature. They also create atmosphere, focal points and can really enhance interior design. In Feng Shui plants are thought to reduce stress, enhance mental wellbeing, promote positive energy flow and increase prosperity.

I’m sharing four plants I absolute love in my home that are very easy to care for and have huge impact both in aesthetic and wellbeing.

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Cheese Plant.

Monstera Deliciosa

The cheese plant has long been a favourite in the UK. It’s got a retro vibe and looks structural and impactful. But it’s also easy to care for and you get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s an air purifier and calming focal point to any room. Any cheese plant owner will tell you the joy of finding an unfurling new leaf.

C A R E: prefers filtered light out of strong direct sunlight and likes some humidity. A cheese plant does love to climb towards a light source so thrive under a skylight. I find a cheese plant with thrive in most bright rooms with a mist of water every week or so. I use For Peats Sake Root Buddy when repotting my cheese plant and they love it. A Monstera doesn’t love sitting in wet compost so only water when the top of the compost feels dry. A regular wiping of dust from the leaves will make this beauty happy.

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Boston Fern.

Nephrolepis Exaltata

The Boston Fern is an absolute beauty. It’s an incredibly powerful air purifier, removing toxins such as formaldehyde and xylene (which is good news if you own lots of flatpack/mdf furniture) and it goes to be an absolute beaut of a larger plant.

C A R E: The Boston Fern likes humidity. My last one LOVED my old east facing bathroom but died in the north facing one here. But I’ve seen Boston Ferns thrive in many conditions - just keep it’s leaved spritzed with water (rainwater from a water butt if possible). Being a fern, they do like a bit of dampness in their pot, make sure to give it some water at least once a week. These plants look beautiful hanging in macrame or a pot on a shelf, just make sure it has enough room to spread itself out.

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Elephant Ear.

Alocasia Cucullata

This tropical plant will make a real statement in your home and help you feel connected to nature and green spaces. It’s also a powerful air purifier but is also said to help the flow of energy within the home and is found in Buddhist temples throughout it’s native Thailand. It’s really helpful in a stagnant corner of a house and will brighten up an otherwise ordinary corner. The Alocasia is an effective humidifier and is said to aid skin and respiratory issues caused by poor air.

C A R E: An elephant ear loves a bright room but in a spot that is out of direct sunlight. It doesn't like to be waterlogged but does like a bit of moisture in its pot. Keep leaves clear of dust to allow photosynthesis in the indirect light and feed with houseplant food in the warmer months.

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Devils Ivy.

Epipremnum aureus or Golden Pothos

This almost unkillable plant will grow in all your darker areas and brighten up many spots like stairwells and north facing rooms. It can be grown up walls and corners to create a relaxing and serene space to help you relax. Like the others, it’s an air purifier and will absorb toxins like formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and carbon monoxide. Thought to help boost focus and productivity they are also a great choice for an office.

C A R E: super easy to care for, they will love any indirect light or even a shady corner. They like humidity so spraying their leaves won’t go amiss and while I find they are quite thirsty they will forgive you for forgetting to water them and bimble on their journey growing up your pole/wall regardless. They won’t love being overwatered though.

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