Our last home didn't have a ton of space for plants, so I've only had a few over the years. I always kept one in my office when I worked (my favorite, Sally, lasted forever and I gifted her to a co-worker when I left my last job). Since we've moved, however, I've rediscovered my love for having pots of greenery around our house! I want to invest in a few more.
Right now I have 5 planters around our house: an herb box with basil and oregano that I grew from seeds, a vintage planter gifted from my mom (I have no idea the name of the plant inside!), a dienffenbachia, an orchid that was birthday gift from a friend, and a super cute plant I found at Wal-mart last year but don't know the name of. Its sort of silly how much I love them all and how fun it is to take care of them. Also, so simple (well, I'll keep you posted on the orchid)! Here's my no-fail way of keeping them thriving:
Read the care instructions! Every houseplant comes with a plant marker when you buy them- it tells you how much sun they need, how often to water, etc. So if a plant needs full sun, I know to find it a place on our dining room table or kitchen window sill. Having too much/not enough/just the right amount of sunshine is KEY to keep houseplants happy!
Water them every 1-2 weeks (basically whenever I remember or notice the soil has dried out- houseplants are pretty durable and just need a few good soaks every month). I do them all on the same day and let them soak in our utility sink so all excess water drains out before I put them back in their places around the house! *I did lots of research on orchids and everything says not to over-water, so I simply put 2-3 ice cubes in the pot once a week*
Prune often. If there are dried up, yellowed, or dying leaves- I tear them off at the root. For spider plants, philodendron, pothos, and ivy specifically (they grow like crazy!) I cut off shoots to keep the plant from getting bigger than I want and to keep the plant healthy.
Re-pot when necessary. I buy most of my houseplants as little babies and most of them actually outgrow the planter I put them in. This is a good thing! The biggest signs your plant has outgrown its container are that you can see the roots coming through the soil and it stops thriving despite appropriate care.
Here are my top favorite houseplants to buy for myself and gift to others- and I promise, they are nearly impossible to kill! In fact, I've learned that with some TLC you can revive virtually any plant. So don't give up! Give it a good pruning (it may look as if you've pruned the entire plant and there's nothing left, but I promise it'll grow back!), a good watering, and the right amount of sun. After three-four weeks of that I would put money on you having a happy plant again!
Ok, but back to my favorite houseplants!
Spider plant
Philodendron
Dienffenbachia
Pothos
(and if I can ever find out the name of my mystery plan, I'll add it. Because it has been the easiest to care for!)
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