What To Consider Before Decorating Your Home With Plants
Ahh, houseplant. Nothing refreshes and gives your home a lively boost than a pot of lush greenery. Decorating your home with plants can offer numerous benefits, from improving your overall health and mood to enhancing interior aesthetics.
Before you buy and decorate with houseplants, there are a few factors you must consider. This will help ensure you get the right houseplants and place them in your home correctly. Here are some of them:
1. Kids And Pets
One of the most significant factors you need to consider when decorating your home with plants is how it will get along with your kids and pets. Toddlers can be pretty nimble and messy. For instance, if you place a houseplant within their reach on your living area’s center table, you may have to clean scattered soil on your carpet. If your kid accidentally breaks a small glass pot, it can also be a safety hazard.
The same goes for your pets, particularly cats since they like to climb around and knock off potted plants. On the other hand, dogs may try to dig on large, floor-standing plants and create a mess. What’s more, some plants can be poisonous to cats and dogs. Depending upon the plant’s toxicity, even a nibble on a leaf can make your pet sick. So, always check if each plant is pet- and kid-friendly before buying and using it as decoration around your home.
2. The Amount Of Sunlight Available
Plants need sunlight to grow and survive. Fortunately, most houseplants can flourish even without direct sunlight. In this case, you can display these plants in rooms with less sunlight, such as bathrooms.
When considering where you’ll place the houseplants, let the sunlight in each area guide your houseplant picks. If you feel your plant is receiving too little light, you can always take them outdoors for a few hours daily to give them the much-needed light. But this may not be possible for large or fixed potted areas. So, be careful with plant selection and consider their lighting needs before placing them around your home.
3. Humidity And Temperature
As with sunlight, overall indoor humidity and temperature are critical factors determining a houseplant’s placement suitability. Depending on the location, heating system, or humidifier, homes can have varying humidity levels. So, keep these in mind when choosing which plants to buy and where you’ll place them. For instance, succulents such as jade love dry air, while a tropical plant like monstera needs excess moisture. If you really like a specific houseplant variety that doesn’t match your home’s humidity and local area’s temperatures, investing in a dehumidifier or humidifier can help. If it needs extra humidity, you can also mist the plant religiously.
4. Space
Some plants will stay mini regardless of how many years they last. Others will grow taller than you. As such, you want to consider the space where you’ll place the houseplant.
Rubber trees, birds of paradise, and majesty palms will need enough headroom to spread their leaves and grow. Meanwhile, succulents and cacti look cute on shelving or used as tabletop décor.
Look around the specific area where you wish to decorate with houseplants. Determine how far your interior gardening space is. Then, measure the width and height of your chosen houseplant. Make sure to give enough room for when it grows.
Aside from the space size, you also want to place it in an area where it won’t be knocked around. Check the traffic flow around your home and decide accordingly for the best setup.
5. Potting Soil And Drainage
Lastly, you also want to consider the soil and drainage for your houseplant. Indoor plants won’t be able to absorb enough nutrients from surrounding ground dirt as outdoor plants can. So, ensure you use a suitable soil blend right from the start to help them thrive and stay lush. Most standard potting soil mixes are a blend of perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss.
Aside from soil, it would help if you also consider drainage. Look for a pot with a drainage hole with a saucer to prevent mess and protect your furniture.
Takeaway
As you can see, a little research before shopping and decorating your home with houseplants can go a long way. It prevents you from displaying a high-maintenance plant in a poor environment, saving you from the disappointment of losing a beautiful plant. By keeping the above factors in mind, you can create a well-balanced and safe interior décor using lush plants while ensuring your investment’s health and longevity.