By Abby Lapides
Houseplants do much more than add decoration to the home; these hardworking beauties can help improve your quality of life.
In the early 90s the NASA that landed a man on the moon – released a study about air filtering houseplants. According to NASA one of the best air purifiers, mother-in-law’s tongue (pictured), also known as snake plant, or my favorite – viper’s bowstring, just happens to be one of the easiest to grow houseplants around. They grow in just about any light condition and are very forgiving if you forget to water. In fact the #1 way to kill one of these is to water it too frequently. The striking plant features silver-green foliage with dark green bands. Though viper’s bowstring has been used as a houseplant for a long time, its stiff upright nature gives this plant an architectural modern look. Unlike many plants, viper’s bowstring converts C02 into oxygen at night, making it an excellent plant for bedrooms.
In more studies added health benefits discovered of houseplants were a reduction in health issues in classrooms, and reduced sick leave and eyestrain in offices.
Pain and stress – two items most of us want to eliminate from our lives. Well, I can’t say that houseplants are the magic cure, but they have been known to reduce both of these in hospital patients. Surgical patients that recovered with plants in their room took less pain relievers and breast cancer patients were reported to better tolerate life’s disruptions from treatment after interacting with plants. For those brown-thumbed people out there try planting the parlor palm. One of the most forgiving houseplants, you won’t have to stress over its care. Parlor palms feature narrow green stalks and foliage that forms into an airy upright plant. There’s no need to worry about the palm taking over your home as this slow growing houseplant usually maxes out at around 4’.
With so many benefits it’s easy to see why houseplants are rocketing in popularity. Because of the vast variety available and many being so easy to grow, there’s a houseplant for anyone in just about any location in the house. Find the perfect houseplants for your home at Sugar Creek Gardens, where we carry a large variety and will help you with plants for both inside and outside your home!
Sugar Creek Gardens
1011 N. Woodlawn
Kirkwood, MO 63122
314-965-3070
www.sugarcreekgardens.com