Make room in your home for house plants – they create a relaxing environment,
lift your spirits and can even improve your health.
The festivities are over, the decorations have all been
packed away for another year… and doesn’t the house look
bare and empty! So why not fill the gap where the Christmas
tree once twinkled – with some beautiful house plants?
You’ll soon start to appreciate your new guests. For example, did you know that the presence of plants can improve air quality
in your home? Green plants absorb unseen pollutants from homes and offices, such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde
and other harmful emissions that can come from equipment such as gas heaters and computers. Some plants humidify the air too, countering the drying effects of central heating and low ventilation. No wonder they can make you feel more positive.
But most of all, plants can make your living space a better place. Use contrasting colours and shapes, create a focal point, or position uplighters to produce interesting shadows and lighting effects. Here are a few ideas using plants available in branches
now (larger plants only available in selected branches). If you prefer colour and scent to foliage, look out for our cut flowers, flowering plants or planted containers for an instant burst of cheerful colour.
Lucky choice
Pachira aquatica is sometimes called the ‘money’ or ‘good luck’ tree, because it is supposed to bring luck into your home. It has an elegant braided trunk and leaves that grow in clumps of five, like fingers, from slender branches. It likes plenty of indirect sunlight and tolerates infrequent watering. However, it will thrive with occasional misting.
Approx height 65cm, £19.99 (includes pot)
Add drama
Nolina recurvata – the ‘ponytail palm’ or ‘elephant’s foot’ – is a real drama queen, with its tangle of long, thin leaves sprouting from a long fibrous stem with a bulbous base. Nolina loves dry, centrally heated houses and only requires an occasional water – it hates getting its roots wet. Place near a light-filled window.
Approx height 65cm, £19.99 (includes pot)
Lighten up
The tropical ‘umbrella tree’, Schefflera arboricola ‘Gold Capella’, has hand-shaped, glossy green and yellow variegated leaves on long,
thin stalks. It adapts to most conditions, is easy to care for and can live for a long time
– so may grow quite tall. Its vibrant colour will brighten
up a gloomy area of a room.
Approx height 45cm, £3.99 (excludes pot)
Plant care
- To thrive, all plants need is water (rain water is best), light and food. Dissolve Baby Bio or another plant food in their water every month or so; or use the convenient Baby Bio Feed Sticks, which you poke into the compost: these add nutrients to the soil when you water.
- Bear in mind the plant’s origins: if it came from a desert-like environment, for example, don’t over-water and do give it lots of light. If it heralds from semi-tropical conditions, water more regularly and keep out of full sunshine.
- To check if a plant needs water, press your thumb into the surface of the compost: if nothing sticks then the plant is thirsty. For most plants, add water to the saucer, rather than the soil – check the plant’s care label for full details.
This article was first published on Waitrose.com in February 2005