Five Essential Houseplants for the Not-so Garden Savvy
I don’t know about you, but I can’t keep a plant for the life of me. Ever since I got a Venus Fly Trap as a kid, I’ve been notorious for killing my plants without even trying. It’s a curse – but if you’re cursed to kill every houseplant you own like me, there may be a solution!
With the help of some green-thumbed friends of mine, we’ve written up a short list of perfect houseplants for the less skilled gardeners out there. I’ve even put a few of these to the test!
1: Aloe Vera
Most people know of Aloe plants from their uses for skin medication, itch relief, lotions, and cosmetics. But, as a succulent, it’s a very easy plant to care for! Simply plant the center cluster in a small pot, then leave it on your window sill and it’ll thrive! Try to find soil suited for succulents for ideal growth, and if you’re unsure, try to water it less than more.
Aloe Vera looks wonderful in any setting or interior style, it’s easy to grow, AND it’s useful! Could you ask for a better houseplant?
2: Peace Lily
The humble peace lily plant is an iconic houseplant. There’s a reason it’s one of the more popular plants for all sorts of houseplant owners – from the less-savvy like us, to the real green thumb types. It’s a beautiful plant, and it’s not very hard at all to take care of at all!
The peace lily has a secret that has helped me – chronic plant neglector – keep it thriving. It’s quite helpful, actually. The peace lily will actually TELL you when it needs watering by its leaves drooping down, pretty much the plant-equivalent of puppy dog eyes, saying “please water me!”.
On top of this, even once the plant looks like it’s long dead, you can simply trim off the dead leaves. Once all the brown is gone, give it a good water once a week and it’ll be healthy again in no time!
3: Snake Plant
Another succulent on the list, this one has thick, wax-like leaves that are quite durable to the elements. The snake plant, also known as the “mother-in-law’s tongue” or ribbon plant, is the perfect plant for people who love to go on holiday. This is because the snake plant thrives when the soil dries out in-between waterings, meaning you can give it a long drink and then it’ll be fine for weeks!
This plant is also perfect for offices, as it loves a low-light environment, growing well under fluorescent lighting. Consider having one of these on your desk at work – I know I will!
4: Spider Plant
The spider plant, also known as the airplane plant, is a favourite in the world of growing houseplants and has been for centuries. Highly adaptable, the spider plant can thrive in any sort of lighting – but bright, indirect light is ideal. Personally, I recommend hanging them in the kitchen window.
This plant is known for its runners that grow out from the plant, spidering out into their own plants, hence the name. This means that once you’ve potted one, you can keep growing more to expand your collection further!
The spider plant doesn’t need water too often, just when the soil begins to dry out. Just don’t over-water, and you’ll be fine.
5: Cactus
Last but not least, the cactus. Famous for being easy to grow and take care of, you can’t go wrong with one of these, even if you’ve tried everything else on this list. They thrive in drier, warmer conditions – they are desert plants, after all. Perfect for the Australian summer, a common killer of beloved houseplants! If you reside in some of the warmer areas of the country, the cactus may be for you.
One of the lovely things about the cactus, is you only need to water your cactus ideally about twice a month, but it can last a good while even if you forget that! You’ll really struggle to kill a cactus – trust me, it’s the longest-lasting houseplant I’ve ever owned!
Not only are cacti easy to care for and hassle-free, but they’re also quite pretty! The basic cactus is good looking enough, but some have very beautiful blooms. Just don’t prick yourself if you get too close to admire it…
Hope this list helped the hopeless home gardeners out there, much like it helped me. It really does suck to see all your hard work go to waste when a houseplant you’re looking after dies, especially when you thought you were doing everything right. Hopefully you won’t have that issue after picking something from this list!
Good luck, and happy gardening!