Choosing the Right Houseplants

There are many factors that are involved in choosing the right houseplant. You do not need to change the environment inside your house to suit the plants. Choose plants that have both aesthetic appeal and practicality. Consider your lifestyle … do you have the time to devote towards taking care of the plants? Are you a “plant dedicated” person?

Take a look around and evaluate the inside of your house and décor. One factor to consider is to make sure the temperature in the room is nice and toasty! The lighting and the direction of the window in that room is also very important to consider.

Does the room have a draft? Make sure to put plants away from a drafty window in the winter time. Certain plants do not like cold temperatures and it is important to consult with plant nursery staff to ensure an optimal growing environment.

Other factors to consider are: What is your decoration style and theme of the room? Is it Oriental, formal, casual, etc? Will the plant enhance the theme, or go against it? Is there an architectural element in the room you want to disguise or highlight? Where you positioned the plant is very important!

Consider the overall look and feel of the room and decide on what visual texture the plant should have. For instance, tall and spiky, tall and wide, big and dramatic, soft and fluffy, small and eye-catching, etc…etc.

Once you have decided where the plant is going to be in the room, you have to decide what type of plants you want in there. This can be difficult for some people especially if they do not know what they want at the first place.

You can buy virtually any type of plants from your local nursery. Your local nursery staff can advise you on the type of plants you are looking for if you provide them with the descriptions of your room and all the aforementioned factors.

Here are some of my personal favorites (ranked by size):

Small plants (at full size, less than 1 foot tall)

• African violet, cactus, dracaena and maidenhair fern

Medium plants (between one and three feet tall at full size)

• Chinese evergreen, wax plant, spider plant, and velvet plant

Large plants (usually over 3 feet tall or long)

• Christmas cactus, jade plant, lady palm, rubber plant and weeping fig

If you are looking for plants that are easy to grow (low maintenance) without much effort, try these: Chinese evergreen, cacti, dracaenas, jade plant and ficus.

If you are “chi” or “yin yang” conscious, you may want to consult a Feng Shui master. The type of plants and the positioning of the plant are very important for the flow of good energy.

Again, if you are still undecided, there are many books about houseplants in the library that you can do your own research before you start your project.

 

View Abbotsford real estate listings and connect with local Abottsford realtors like Kristy Dusdal to find the perfect home for all your plants.  

 

See Abbotsford real estate now and happy houseplanting!!

 

 

 

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