The importance of houseplants
Most of us have had a plant (or two!) in our home at one time. Indoor or houseplants offer a touch of color during a gloomy winter, a sign of comfort when received as a get well gift, or a source of frustration when they do not grow and thrive.
Their numerous benefits include fulfilling our culinary needs (herbs), providing intellectual stimulation (what is this plant?), and supporting our emotional well-being (what a beautiful plant to behold!).
This article is the first in a series of houseplants and their care.
The origins of keeping plants indoors date to early human history, where they were regarded as a status symbol of wealth and luxury. In 400-500 BC, wealthy Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans maintained many varieties of large and showy plants most often in terra cotta containers. The Romans preferred marble containers and preferred large varieties of rose and violet species.
Miniature gardening appeared in Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese cultures around 200-500 AD. Today, bonsai plants represent these miniature gardens, which remain beloved and admired.
Historically, indoor gardening declined but resurfaced during the Renaissance. By the Victorian era, plants were grown indoors by the middle class. This resurgence may be linked to the improvement of indoor lighting and watering methods.
Aside from their beauty and appeal, scientific evidence points to direct benefits of houseplants to human health and wellness. Houseplants have been shown to improve employee production in the workplace by 15%, making them just as valuable in the home setting for remote workers. A Penn State Extension article on the benefits of indoor plants can be found at “Leveraging Biophilia Through Indoor Living Walls” on the psu.edu website.
Integrating plants into your indoor environment indulges your creativity. Bring out your artistic and decorative nature by selecting plants and containers to match or contrast with your home décor. Apply your knowledge of plants to create an interesting display in areas of your home that have access to direct, indirect and low light. Create a collection of different varieties of the same plants in containers that are similar in color or design for a cohesive display.
Growing individual plants in their own containers is easy to maintain and display. For a captivating presentation, create mixed containers of houseplants like annual outdoor containers, following the “thriller, filler, spiller” approach. For houseplants, use a large container to plant a tall dracaena (thriller), spider plant (filler) and pothos (spiller).
Enhance your indoor plant collection by overwintering summer plants, which can save you money for new purchases. Try overwintering geraniums, palms, coleus, Boston ferns and even elephant ears. Only save plants grown in containers, not those planted in the ground. Research which plants will be the most successful for this transition. Alternatively, place houseplants outdoors on porches or protected areas during the summer months, another money saver from purchasing and decorating with annuals. During the holidays, decorate larger plants such as Norfolk Island pine or palms and include them in the holiday spirit.
Indoor gardeners may settle on a particular type of houseplant and collect their many varieties. Such plants include orchids, bonsai, succulents, begonias and ferns. Register for classes or webinars and watch online videos to learn the best practices on caring for these plants. Another option is to create a terrarium, which has its own microclimate. Online videos, classes and books demonstrate how to maintain a terrarium. Once prepared, terrariums are mostly maintenance free.
Enhancing your home environment with houseplants goes beyond placing a plant in a pot on a windowsill. There are endless possibilities to growing, nurturing and ultimately enjoying houseplants.
Penn State Extension offers recorded webinars and print materials on caring for houseplants (https://extension.psu.edu). If you have questions about gardening practices, call the Butler County Master Gardener Garden Hotline at 724-287 4761, ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.
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Mary Shannon is with the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Butler County.
