Using houseplants for better health

I’ve enjoyed taking care of houseplants for many, many years.  Even as a small girl, I used to find joy in nurturing my mother’s plants.  I never stopped to think that this might be beneficial in ways other than the obvious – giving me a hobby and teaching me a little bit about the responsibility of taking care of something other than myself.  It turns out that there are actually quite a few benefits that we can garner from keeping a variety of houseplants.  If we keep them happy and healthy, they can do the same for us!  It seems that a lot of research has already gone into the subject, so once again, instead of retyping all of the information out there, I’ll provide you with a couple of links that I found particularly interesting.

The following article gives a lengthy list of benefits:

http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/blog/2011/15-fabulous-health-benefits-of-house-plants/

If you scroll down on this article you’ll find a list of common plants, what their particular benefits are, and where they are best used.  Let me note that the whole article is worth reading.

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/5-benefits-of-houseplants

This is in no way a complete list of the information out there on the subject, but I hope that it has piqued your interest enough to do a little digging on your own. 

Happy Gardening!

Quick Tips: Watering & Fertilizing Houseplants

 Use a pencil or a finger to check if your houseplants need watering.  The soil at the surface can be pretty dry, while the soil a couple of inches under is holding moisture.  Many people see the dryness at the top, and assume that the plant needs water.  Not so!  Check the soil 1-2 inches under the surface, and water when that feels dry.

Used coffee grinds make a great fertilizer.  As with water, houseplants don't need fertilizing as much or as often as outdoor gardens.  Used coffee grinds are a gentle and effective way to enrich your houseplants' soil.  Just sprinkle some on the surface when you think of it.  Many houseplants can actually grow IN used coffee grinds, so you have much less worry over burning your plants with this than a chemical store bought fertilizer.

Cats vs Houseplants

Do you have cats digging in your houseplants (and using them for a litterbox)? Try spreading a layer of rocks over the soil to stop them from doing this.  You can even add in a few of the flattened glass beads from the craft store to give it a splash of color!
The kind of rock doesn't necessarily matter.  Most any kind that takes your fancy should do the trick.  If your cat is stubborn, however, and continues to dig through the rocks, then switch to lava rock, which you can usually find at your local home improvement store.  Cats don't enjoy the abrasive feel of the rock on their paws.
And that's usually all it takes.  Happy gardening (even in the winter)!