🌵 Indoor Plants to Spice Up Your Room

Ever wanted to decorate your room but had a lack of ideas, cash flow, or know how? Then jump straight to the leafy babies (or spiky babies): plants! In this quick Book Baller on a Budget guide, I’ll tell you WHY you should add some plants to your room, WHAT plants you should consider, WHERE you should buy your plants, and HOW you can care for them (so they’re not wilted and brown in two days flat, oh no!). Take it from the girl who literally grows her own dinner: you’ll have a green thumb in no time!

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WHY GET INDOOR PLANTS?

1. My go-to reason when people are on the fence about indoor plants is to promote the fact that they help purify air. Certain plants do this better than others, but they ALL contribute to better, cleaner air. This is particularly great for preventing respiratory problems!
2. Plants reduce stress! Yuuuuuup, science has said it so it’s now a total and complete fact. Meaning don’t just adorn your room with plants, but put them in your office too, and keep that heart rate down.
3. Having trouble sleeping (or looking for an even better sleep?) Plants help with that too! We’ve already covered how they purify air and reduce stress, so no wonder they help us get to snoozeville faster and better.
4. Plants decrease the likelihood of us getting a cold, sore throat, or other (minor) illnesses. Well, who wants to say no to THAT??

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WHERE SHOULD YOU BUY YOUR PLANTS?

Many plants can be purchased in the garden departments of home renovation stores (I’m Canadian, warning, so if I name places you don’t know, well, that’s why!) but think things like Reno Depot, Canadian Tire (LOL this is definitely Canada only!), etc.

You can also go to garden specialty places or markets. I most prefer going to markets for my plants (and the prices are always fair, under four dollars a plant, but it can depend which market you go to). Most often the market will have local growers selling, so you know you’re buying from the source (instead of at garden departments, where you’re buying from someone who bought from a source, and may not know how to properly care for the plant).

Just make sure the plant is in good health before you buy it: AKA is the soil moist? If not, the people at the store may not have been watering consistently. Are there any brown leaves? Are the flowers drooping? A little bit of droop is alright if you know how to nurse a plant back to health — if not, make sure the plant is tip top shape before purchasing!

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WHAT PLANTS SHOULD YOU BUY?

I’ll focus on some brown-thumb resistant plants here, in case you’re a little nervous because of a bad history with the green babies (or no history at all!) All houseplants really need is water and sunlight. If you want to get fancy, you can add plant food — but that’s generally not necessary. My houseplants are doing just fine without it! BUUUT some plants need water so dramatically if you miss a day they’re like — ciao! And others, you give a splash too much and they’re drowning. SOO here’s a guide of plants that are harder to kill off.

Succulents: I’m sure you’ve heard of these dudes. They come in allll shapes and sizes and colours … of green (well, some reds and blues!). You give a bit of water once a week and a succulent is like, yup, thanks, that’s me! If you kill a succulent, I don’t know what to say.

Aloe: Technically a succulent but I wanted to separate it just to say a few things. First off, aloe can get big (if you get the large variety), so … get the smaller varieties, haha. And this plant needs sunlight! Again though, water once a week.

Snake Plant: (pictured on side) I see this often in people’s houses, probably cause y’all are catching on that it’s easy to care for. Doesn’t need too much light, and water once a week.

English Ivy: Super cute to look at and super hard to kill (unless it doesn’t get enough light). This plant is great if you want something that hangs. Water twice a week.

Cactuses!: Everyone goes crazy for these little dudes. Water once every two weeks and make sure they get a lot of light.

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HOW CAN YOU CARE FOR YOUR PLANTS?

Plant care isn’t too complicated. Follow the watering instructions. Ensure they have the right amount of sunlight (don’t just put them in the left corner because oooh, it looks just right there). Ensure there is proper drainage (this means holes in the bottom of the pot or rocks.

If you’re still unclear about how to care for a particular plant, look up instructions online! There are info guides on pretty much every plant out there. Not to mention staff at gardening centers/markets etc know (should know!) how to tend to each plant in their care.

And just like that … you’re a proud plant parent!

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Do you own any plants? After this guide, will you be owning some plants? Do you consider yourself a green or brown thumb?