Enjoy tranquility, health, and fresh air with indoor plants in your home.
Life is hectic, period. These days adults and children alike are over-scheduled; constantly zipping from one commitment to the next and by the end of the week, everyone is exhausted and seeking refuge and recuperation for what seems like seconds before the vicious cycle resets.
But did you know that you can achieve Zen like restoration in the comfort of your own home? By adding a few therapeutic plants you will not only improve the aesthetic, but also the air quality while adding a few health and mood elevating benefits.
Houseplants are good for your health
Houseplants actually do the opposite of what we do when we breathe; they release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, freshening the air and eliminating the harmful toxins. NASA’s extensive research reveals that houseplants can remove up to 87% of toxins in the air within 24 hours.
A sense of wellbeing comes over you when you are exposed to plants. Studies show that indoor plants improve productivity and even concentration by up to 15%. They also reduce stress and boost mood.
- Plants speed up the recovery rates of patients – this is according to researchers from the Kansas State University. When they compared the records of patients who had plants in their rooms to that of patients who did not have any in their rooms they founds that patients who had plants requested fewer pain medications, their heart rates and blood pressure were lower, they were less anxious, they experienced less fatigue and their average recovery rates were higher.
- The Dutch Product Board for Horticulture reported that adding plants to office settings decreased fatigue, headaches, colds, coughs, flu-like symptoms and colds.
- According to the Agricultural University of Norway, instances of illness fell by more than 60% among employee offices that had plants!
Healing Indoor Plant Suggestions
Any plant can help detoxify the air and provide a sense of calm, but here are some plants that offer a little something extra to your health.
Ferns
Ferns are well-loved and sought-after plants in the home because they are great at removing negative energy from a room. It’s because they purify the air and even absorb harmful toxins from the environment. Ferns can also create additional humidity in the air by pulling water from the soil and transpiring it back into the environment
Don’t put them in direct sunlight. For added humidity, place the fern on a pebble tray (a shallow tray with rocks and water).
Aloe Vera
The gel found on this plant has amazing healing properties; it’s a skin soother as well as a body detoxifier. This plant also maintains the air quality in your home, clearing the air of pollutants that are in your cleaning products, for example, and keeping your home beautiful and fresh. Aloe Vera plants love the sun and coming in various sizes and can blend into almost any décor.
Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis)
Maybe you already have this in your pantry, but Green Tea is a must-have in your home. Boosting digestion, alleviating colds, and giving your skin a glow of health green tea is a super food with a laundry list of internal and external benefits. It’s also wonderful as a healthy rinse for hair, keeping it smooth and shiny.
Green Tea can be planted in containers outdoors and moved indoors during winter, or kept indoors year round.
Catnip
Catnip is beneficial for humans and pets. A tea made from dried catnip leaves has a calming effect which can ease anxiety, insomnia, and headaches. According to WebMd, It can also create a high in our feline friends, or make them mellow, or have no effect.
Place catnip plants in a spot that gets at least 5 hours of direct sunlight and water when it is slightly dry.
Herbs
You can grow all kinds of herbs indoors to have ready access to them for cooking year round. Basil, rosemary, thyme, lavender, oregano, chives, mint and more all do well inside. You get the benefits of cleaner air as well as the flavor and health benefits of the herbs.
Read here for tips to get you started.
Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis)
Mmmmmm – who doesn’t love the smell of lemon?! This gorgeous plant will enhance your indoor garden with its lovely aroma. If you get bitten by insects while enjoying a balmy evening, rub some lemon balm over the bite and it will instantly soothe it. Lemon Balm has ferulic acid in it, protecting the skin from damage, so it’s not surprising that it can be made into an ointment for sunburn and sores.
Chili Peppers
Chili peppers will add bright colors to your home as well as spicy and healthy flavors to your meals. Chili peppers are known to increase metabolism, alleviate arthritic pain as well as promote a healthy heart and digestive tract.
Choose a small edible variety. These plants love direct sunlight; water when slightly dry. (more information)
So, stop what you’re doing and head to your nearest nursery, you’ve got some plant shopping to do!
‘Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity’
~Lindley Karstens
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