Let’s talk about houseplants…

Bromeliad. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

We’ve all been there…You take down all the festive holiday and winter decor and you’re left looking at a cold empty chasm whose soul left the building! This year I tried—in vain—to decorate and make things look nice, but I needed more. I needed my space to feel alive. I needed something organic and living (besides my cats) in my “living” room. 

I don’t know why I never bothered to get a lot of houseplants before. I like plants. I like poking at them and watching them grow. I do have a few of them already—they have become sad and neglected, but still alive (well, mostly!). Sure I kill a few here and there, but overall we have a symbiotic relationship. This year—of all years—I decided I had to make a major change. This year I wanted to buy some beautiful houseplants and become a proud plant mom. (Yeah, that sounds weird even to me!)

Sounds simple enough, right? But these are not inanimate objects you are bringing into your home. Unlike a sofa or chair, a plant will wither and die if the conditions are not right—trust me, I know—and there is soooo much to learn about plants! Once I started down that road, I realized other people are probably in the same boat, wanting to bring real plants home but feeling overwhelmed with all of the new information and responsibility that would come with having plants. After going through my own experience, I thought it would be helpful to share my thoughts on that process and maybe provide you out there with aspirations of being houseplant moms (or dads) some helpful tips I learned to successfully bring more greenery into your own spaces. There’s a lot to consider from budget to safety to lighting and care, and it pays dividends to learn as much as possible up front BEFORE you go shopping for plants. So let me walk you through my experience…
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Budget:
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Yeah, so let’s talk about budget. As with any new design, you should always have a budget, but expect to go over that budget! There will always be aspects of the project that cost more than you had guesstimated, and there will always be unforeseen expenses you had not even thought of (like maybe potting soil, plant stands, decorative pots, and plant food). My budget was about $200.00…Yep, I blew it! I ended up spending $330.00 at Home Depot, and I’m still not really done yet. I discovered that I need a few more things, like Neem Oil (for pesky gnats), more potting soil, specialized potting soil (for my succulents) and a few more pots. (I also have to replace a couple plants that tragically didn’t make it!
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My succulents. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Safety, health, & maintenance needs:
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One of the most important things I researched before I bought any houseplants was plant toxicity. I have two beautiful kitties, and it would absolutely devastate me if they got sick from munching on a toxic plant I was responsible for bringing into the house! My cats have never really bothered any of my existing peace lilies—which are not said to be good for cats—but they don’t bother them, so I think these are safe to keep.
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My two kitties, watching me garden. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2018.

Peace lily. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

In addition to safety, any plants I bought needed to be low maintenance, because me and finicky plants don’t get along. So when it comes to constant watering and pruning and feeding…Nope. I just don’t have the time. My Dieffenbachia can go for a few weeks without watering, as can Ponytail palms, succulents, and the Money Tree. My Ficus does not like to dry out completely, but equally doesn’t like to be soggy, and so it requires slightly more attention than the plants just mentioned. On the other end of the spectrum are my Bromeliad and Tillandsia (air plants). The air plants (which are part of the Bromeliad family) require frequent misting and soaking. The Bromeliad (which technically does not require soil) needs humidity—which it gets from the air in nature—and so requires more attention than some of my other plants, but all of the bromeliads are so intriguing to me that I’m willing to exert the effort!
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Dieffenbachia. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Ponytail palm. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Money Tree with a Peace lily. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Bonsai Ficus. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Bromeliad in my window. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Tillandsia (a.k.a. air plants). Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Another “must” on my list for preferences are plants that filter the air, because I am really big on indoor air quality and doing things naturally, if possible or feasible. Peace lilies are good to buy if you want plants that help filter the bad stuff out of the air in your home. (They can be especially useful in bedrooms, as they will remove the toxins from the air as you sleep.) With three Peace lilies my indoor air quality should be superb!
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Peace lily just transplanted. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Spatial considerations:
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A helpful activity you should do before picking out plants is to think about WHERE your plant will live. Not just the room or general area, but on which table or windowsill. Or do you want a floor plant? Do you have a plant stand or other space you want to fill? How much actual space do you have to give up for plants? The tabletop plants you choose will probably need to be small or medium size or maybe tall in stature. When I was assessing my own space I decided that I could comfortably accommodate plants in five, maybe six, spots in my living room. Of those spaces, I had two windowsills at my disposal that could fit small pots. Which brings me on to my next point, lighting.

My floor plant grouping. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Lighting needs:

If you remember nothing else, remember that lighting is almost the most important thing you need to sort out for your plants (besides watering). Too much light can kill some plants, and too little light can stunt the growth or even kill others. I almost killed a Parlor palm and Lucky bamboo that were left sitting in a window, forgotten, for far too long. (I’m so sorry!!) Below I have photos of my two plants—now separated (they were in the same pot) and in the rehab stage. The Lucky Bamboo is getting its darker green color back, but the palm does not look like it’s going to make it. But there’s still hope!
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My Parlor palm rehabbing. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

My Lucky bamboo growing roots in water. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Know your plant, know its lighting needs before you bring it home. Southern facing windows will always get the most direct bright light (unless you have awnings or some other obstacle that blocks the light). North facing windows will get light, but not the bright direct light that you get from the south. This is really important for plants. In my situation, my living room windows are southeast and southwest facing. This is good for most plants, but some plants may need to come away from the window a little bit to avoid some of the really direct light that is hot enough to burn the leaves of sensitive plants. My Peace lilies got a few crispy leaves from being in my front window, and I will have to move my Bromeliad when the hot summer sun starts to beat through the window. Conversely, if the only natural light you have is a north facing window, you’ll need a plant that does not require full sun or bright direct light. Any plant that needs quite a lot of light that is put in a place without adequate light generally won’t do well at all.
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My happy window plant grouping. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

​There is so much more information to digest—and I’m just really scratching the surface—but these are a few of the primary or basic considerations you will need to assess before buying real houseplants for your home. Inevitably, some plants just won’t survive, and sometimes that just comes down to either the plant being sick when you bought it, the shock of being moved, or just not having the right environment for the poor thing. When in doubt, buy one plant. Try one plant that you find fascinating, research it, and try to figure out how to help it thrive (and survive!). Once you figure out how to keep one plant alive, you will find yourself wanting more plant babies…’cause one is just not enough! Plants are so fascinating! And they really bring an empty inanimate space alive! 

I hope you found this article useful! If you did please share it and help my community grow. And please feel free to add your own thoughts and experiences below…Let’s get a conversation started! 

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