DIY: Indoor Gardening Tips for You & Your Plant Friends
No green thumb? No problem! You can still turn your home into an oasis. Here are our top tips for plant parents of all skill levels.
Houseplants have been enjoying a huge surge in popularity. From trending Instagram accounts featuring rare Monsteras to houseplant subscription services, the humble potted plant is having a big moment.
Could your place use an extra dose of green? Plants can be a wonderful way to express your love of nature at home. Here are our recommendations for upping your indoor gardening game, whatever your style.
For the Lazy Plant Parent
We love these plants because they’re very forgiving and tolerant of neglect. Perfect if you’re the forgetful type but still want to add some life to your space.
Aloe Vera
Plenty of indirect light and only intermittent watering will keep your aloe plant happy. As a succulent, this beloved plant can sooth your sunburns—and if you forget to water it for a month, it won’t even mind.
Cast Iron Plant
As the name suggests, this hardy plant is happy even in the toughest conditions. It prefers low light and if it’s happy, it might even flower indoors!
Dragon Tree
This is a common houseplant resembling a palm tree. They can grow up to 10 feet tall but are also easy to keep small if you’re short on space. These palms don’t need much watering since they’re used to desert conditions.
For the Foodie
Thyme
This savory herb requires plenty of sun. It’s quite hardy and easy to grow indoors. Just make sure to let the top of the soil dry out in between watering. Add a pinch to your pasta or baked vegetables for a Mediterranean flavor.
Parsley
Parsley and thyme are good friends and can grow together in the same pot, since they have the same requirements. Pinch off the leaves and add as a garnish to any dish.
Lemongrass
Love Thai food? Lemongrass is a hardy and easy herb to grow in your kitchen. Provide it with well-draining soil and harvest often to keep it happy.
For the Clean Freak
These are the plants who do double duty: they’ll make your home more beautiful and they purify your air!
Golden Pothos
Our favorite houseplant because it’s almost impossible to kill— plus it grows fast! This beautiful vine-like plant cleans formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air.
Bonus tip: once it has some nice long strands, it’s easy to take a clipping and re-plant in a new pot for even more plants at home. The plant that keeps on giving!
Spider Plant
Another unfussy and low-maintenance air purifier, spider plants thrive even in low light and help remove carbon monoxide from the air.
Snake Plant
This leafy friend is another plant that’s tolerant of low light. A Snake Plant is perfect for your bedroom because of its unique talent to release oxygen at night! It also removes formaldehyde that might be leaking into your bedroom’s air from carpeting or furniture.
For the Influencer
These are the trendiest houseplants on Instagram and Pinterest. Any self-respecting hipster will have these leafy friends at home.
Monstera Monsterosa
This is one houseplant that requires quite a lot of real estate. If you have the space to welcome this iconic giant into your home, you’ll be amazed at its huge leaves and the speed at which it grows.
Fiddle-Leaf Fig
These trendy plants have been featured in all sorts of interior design magazines and blogs. Their large, violin-shaped leaves make them stand out in any room. They require bright indirect light and damp soil—but don’t let them sit in water, or they’ll develop root rot.
Calathea
A beautiful but finnicky plant, adopting a Calathea is not for the forgetful or lazy among us. There are many gorgeous varieties of Calathea available. They require high humidity and plenty of indirect light. These thrive in steamy bathrooms (if your bathroom has a window).
A cool Calathea quirk: you’ll notice their leaves point upward at night and downward during the day. For extra Instagram likes, create a time-lapse video to share with your followers.
Which houseplants do you already have at home? Which do you want to adopt next? We hope you’re feeling inspired and ready to add a healthy dose of vegetation to your home!