There is just something about being outside. Let me rephrase that; I love the outdoors! Here in South Africa we enjoy loads of sunny days which make being outside even more enjoyable. I have recently started to bring more of the outdoors, indoors. And I truly believe it’s making a huge difference in our home.
Have you ever thought about the health benefits that plants can bring us? (And not just by eating them.) They are endless. When I started to research which plants would be the best indoors and in which position they will thrive, I was amazed on just how many health benefits there were. I didn’t even know about half of the stuff. From absorbing toxic chemicals that we use on an every day basis like deodorant, air fresheners and cleaning products just to name a few to a silly thing we take for granted like lifting your mood or assisting in some restfully sleep.
Photo by Johannes Hofmann on Unsplash
- Speedy recovery: When our loved ones end up in hospital, we tend to bring our loved ones flowers to wish them well, but interesting enough the plants actually improve their health. Adding plants to hospital rooms speeds up their recovery rate. Besides, being surrounded by nature can reduces stress, anxiety and even lowers blood pressure.
- Sleep better: getting the right amount of sleep per night might be a bit difficult sometimes, our minds wonder and runs all over. Even counting sheep doesn’t help. Adding a plant to your bedroom might help, the vapor of some plants, especially Lavender, can assist with a better night rest. The smell of these plants encourages a state of tranquility.
Here is just some of the benefits:
- The most important benefit I would say is purifying the air. Plants absorb Carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. And we use the oxygen (fresh air) and so the circle continues. Apart from giving us fresh air they also remove toxins from the air.
- Pretty decor : plans add lots of natural beauty to our living spaces and the color green has been proven to calm our body and soul.
- Adds humidity to air: Plants release water in the form of vapor and so increases the humidity in the room they are in. A higher humidity can assist with a dry cough, sore throats and even dry skin.
- Stress reliever: Studies have shown that having plants in your home and in the work place reduces stress, fatigue and even enhances productivity, by producing oxygen. More oxygen equals more brain power that equals better focus.
Photo by Manja Benic on Unsplash
- Keeps insects away: A natural way to keep insect out of your home. For example keeping a pot of lavender on your kitchen counter repels flies, fleas and with the added bonus of smelling wonderful! Basil keeps house flies away and lemon grass keep mosquitoes away. Have you ever seen a citronella scented candle. Well, citronella is a natural oil found in lemongrass.
There are just so many benefits of having plants indoors. Carefully chosen even the worst of plant keepers will be able to look after them. Personally I like succulents. Partly because we are currently experiencing a bit of a dry spell. Therefore to save on some water these will be the obvious choice. But also, they are such unique and amazing plants. With little water, hot sunny positions and little care they just thrive…
Displaying your plants
With my whole approach of bringing the outdoor, in. I decided to make a A-frame for the plants. As a result my search started . My collection of different plants for my home built A-frame grew more and more each day. After reading up on all the different benefits different plants have, I made some choices. (And I just had to add in a couple of succulents. 😁 ) Take a look, my hubby an I build this A-frame. What a wonderful weekend project.
- Elephant’s food or “spekboom”: Well you guessed it. It is a firm favorite among the elephants. 😊 This is a proudly South African plant and 100% edible. They have a sweet almost lemony taste. This plant is truly incredible. This little plant is the best Carbon dioxide absorbed in the world, it actually fights against air pollution by absorbs the carbon dioxide from the air. It stores it almost like a sponge and turns it into plant matter. It can life for up to 200 years!!
The plants that I chose had the best benefits for our home.
As we live close to the airport, I wanted loads of plants to help purify the air. Here of some cool facts about some of the plants that I chose.
- Spider plant: There are many varieties of this plant but I went with the green and white stripped leaf. The spider plant clears the air of harmful toxins like benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide.
- Snake plant: Also known as “mother in law’s tongue. (LOL!!! Apparently something to do with the sharp tongue like leaves.) This plant cleans the air better than any other in door plants. And grows excellent pretty much were ever you place it.
- Rubber plant: If their pot remains small, the plant will also stay small, otherwise the plant will grow into a beautiful tree. The leave are large and almost wax like. They come in all different shades. This could really be a great center piece around your home.
- String of bananas: This is just such a fun hanging succulent. It’s shape is something else, with little banana like leaves. They definitely do not like a lot of water. So let the soil dry out completely after each water session, and water sparingly. Who could resist.
So, I hope you enjoyed this blog post as much as I enjoyed doing the research and writing. I will keep you up to date regarding my future plant projects. So many to do and so little time!!
