Houseplants for Beginners
By ChaChanna Simpson
Have you ever thought of getting a houseplant? Why not? For thousands
of years the practice of growing plants has brought aesthetic and
therapeutic pleasure to many. Maybe you have tried to keep a
houseplant and it died. That's okay - below, I'll show you, step-by-
step, how to take care of a new one.
You're probably wondering; why in the world should I want a
houseplant? Plants are much more than pleasant additions to a home or
office, they actually filter and remove toxins in the air by
absorbing contaminants. According to research there are much more
harmful air pollutants indoors than outdoors. One culprit is
formaldehyde, you know the liquid that pickled the pig's heart in
anatomy class, it is also used for making paper bags, facial tissue,
paper towels, and many common household cleaning agents. Plants take
this and other toxic substances through tiny openings in their leaves
(stoma) removing trace levels of toxic vapors.
We also can learn valuable lessons when we are tending to plants. By
pruning a plant we learn to rid ourselves of hostility and learn
patience, peace, and contentment.
Having a plant is great for the home but it also provides a calming,
spiritual effect in the workplace. Their presence has been known to
ease tension and reduce stress. In hospitals, patients who have a
view of plants from their window recover faster from illness. The
calming and pleasant nature view that a garden creates gives patients
an escape from the stress of the hospital setting.
Plants even you can't kill
For those of you who weren't born with a green thumb, let me
introduce you to a houseplant that requires little maintenance. The
pothos (Epipreminum aureum) is a beautiful lush green vine plant that
can live in little or natural light. It can hang low around your
windowsill or drape across your bookcase. And if you are afraid
you'll forget to water it, you'll be relieved to know this plant only
needs to be thoroughly watered when the top of the soil dries out.
The pothos can tolerate any temperature and only needs to be
fertilized once a month during the spring and summer seasons. When
potting your plant use liquid indoor fertilizer and follow the
package instructions. During the summer spray the plant with clean
water to remove dust from the leaves but make sure to spray them
early in the day to allow the leaf surface to dry. Leaf disease can
develop if the leaf surface remains wet overnight.
So now that you know what gardeners have known for years, why not go
out to create your own little sacred space in your home or cubicle?
ChaChanna Simpson is the publisher and editor of Twentity.com, the
free ezine for twentysomethings, featuring cheap and free events
every Wednesday. Subscribe today at www.twentity.com
