Where Do I Start?

Carol Watson Greenhouse in Lafayette, NY

If you’re like most people who want to start having indoor plants, you have no idea where to start.

Walking into a greenhouse is incredibly exhilarating, and intimidating. Everywhere you look, you see plants and it can be incredibly overwhelming.

First step: figure out your situation

By this I mean find out what kind of light you have in your home, what your schedule is like, and the overall environment your plants would be in.

Is there high traffic? Is the humidity super low? Do you have really bright light throughout the day? These are a few questions you’ll want answered before going to a greenhouse to pick up a new plant baby.

Second step: talk to someone

The best thing about greenhouses are the people that work there. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly, and ready to talk to people about plants. They are there to help you gain knowledge and become the best plant parent you can be.

Third step: choose a plant

So the staff person would probably have given you recommendations on plants based on the questions you answered. Now, it’s up to you to choose! Here’s a few plants that I believe are relatively easy to maintain for most people.

Mind you, I’m not a professional, but I do have some experience with house plants. Just a disclaimer, when I say low light, it doesn’t mean no light. All plants prefer bright indirect light. Some of these plants will survive in low light, but they won’t necessarily thrive.

• Pothos
  • Epipremnum sp. or Pothos plants are really easy to take care of. They can do ok in low light, and can be left alone for a while, so they can survive pretty dry conditions. Ideally, you’d want some bright indirect light, and regular watering when the soil dries up. But pothos do pretty well in low light. These guys will vine and cascade down and can be incredibly beautiful.
• Philodendron species
  • Philodendron species are much similar to pothos in that they can work really well in low light and dry conditions. This one is a bit harder because some Philodendrons require more humid areas, or more light, while others don’t need as much. Definitely do your research and ask before you purchasing a Philodendron. Some Philodendrons vine and others don’t. They do like bright indirect light, but they can survive in lower light. These guys can either vine or grow upright, depending on the species.
• ZZ plant
  • Zamioculcus zamifolii, or the ZZ plant is damn near indestructible. They can survive extremely long between waterings, due to their thick rhizomes that help store water, and is the plant that’s furthest away from my north facing window and is doing fine. Unlike Pothos or some Philodendrons, they grow more erect and have a more rigid appearance.

• Snake Plants
  • Sansevieria, or snake plants, or mother in law’s tongue, grow tall and erect, and almost look like a blade in some species. Sansevieria don’t need as much water as other plants (they are very succulent) and can survive in low light conditions.

These were a few of my first plants, and I think they are the perfect plants to get you started. If you love them properly, they will love you right back.

Fourth step: Enjoy your plant!

Now, it’s time to just love your plants! There’s something so calming about tending plants and just being around them as well. I mean, look at this place.

Carol Watson Greenhouse, Lafayette NY

Who wouldn’t love to sit there and have breakfast, or do some work?

Plants can provide inspiration, creativity, mental and emotional well being, and a sense of fulfillment. Even having one or two can benefit you.

If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask! I would love to help you on your journey to becoming the best plant parent you can be!

Why Should we Keep Plants?

Within the past decade, indoor plants have seen a huge rise in popularity. From having a small succulent on your night stand to having dozens of plants all around your home, more and more people are interested in indoor plants

Let’s be real, plants are amazing.

I personally have about 14 plants of my own, and I plan on getting more as soon as I see ones I want to have. Like I wrote last week, plants have been a huge part of my life, so it was natural for me to collect more plants.

But is there a reason why more and more people are starting to collect more plants?

They’re pretty

Plants are pretty. Have you ever sat in a dull room day in and day out? You usually feel crumby. Even during winter, we get that anxious feeling of sitting around indoors all day and have a need to go out. According to Texas A&M University, indoor plants help with concentration and memory, overall happiness, accelerate the healing process, improves relationship and compassion, improves human performance and energy, perceived quality of life, reduce stress, and the list goes on. All of this just by looking and being around plants. Their physical nature is pleasing, and it gives us a whole ton of benefits.

They help improve air quality

We as humans need oxygen to survive. Luckily, the waste product of plants is oxygen! They help oxygenate our surroundings, which helps us. Not only that, they also help purify the air. According to a study done by NASA, low light requiring plants show the potential to remove harmful toxins in the air that can cause sick building syndrome, mainly formaldehyde, trichlorethylene, and benzene, which are volatile organic compounds that are carcinogenic. Click here to see the list of plants that NASA believes help purify the air.

They help improve your quality of sleep

This is sort of my own personal experience. Ever since getting my little jungle in my room, I’ve found that I have been falling asleep faster, and entering a deeper sleep faster too. I may only sleep five hours one night, but it’s the best five hours I can get and I still feel completely energized for the next day. The humidity in my room has also increased, which, according to the National Sleep Foundation is a good thing. It keeps your skin and mucous membranes from drying out, which makes bacteria less likely to enter the body. Now, too much humidity can lead to less desired effects, however, the plants in your room will utilize the humidity as well, helping keep a nice balance.

So this is why I personally keep plants. They’re amazing, beautiful, and do so much for your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Do you keep any plants? If so, what kind?