Indoor Plants - good for your health and great for your home

I think house plants have long been conceived as slightly old-fashioned, plus lots of us are rather put off by the fact that we forget to water them and they collect dust but I'm here to convince you otherwise.  Trust me, some are dead easy to look after (pardon the pun) and they'll really transform the look and feel of your home. 

First things first, these are the obvious benefits of filling your home with indoor plants:

1. They're good for your physical health

Indoor plants control the humidity inside your home and, as you'll know if you were listening in biology, they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen which refreshes the air and fights pollutants in the home.  Did you know that everything from our furniture to the paint we use, computers and even our clothes emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds)?  Still, life's too short to worry about every single thing that we bring into our homes but you can't go wrong with the introduction of a couple of house plants, especially as The University of Agriculture in Norway claims that plants can decrease cold-related symptoms by 30%!  So there you go, get yourself an indoor plant and you'll be saving on tissues and night nurse for months to come. 

2. They are great for your state of mind

The US Horticultural Therapy Association are huge advocates of indoor plants as they claim that plants can reduce stress, anxiety and even despression whilst increasing feelings of relaxation and calm.  They can even boost creativity!  I have plenty of plants in the shop - hopefully it’s doing the trick!

3. They improve our living space aesthetically

Plants add a bright, natural, splash of green to any scheme and they go with everything! They also make a home feel fresh and airy, especially if you position plants near windows to blur the line between inside and out.  This is really beneficial at this time of year when it's turning colder and we’re spending less time outside.

They will revive any room and can add height and drama, making a space feel bigger and more spacious.  Don't be afraid to go BIG on plants - there are some amazing indoor trees available. 

It's also a good idea to place plants in spots that may be prone to accumulating clutter.  This is a great one if you have someone in your life who leaves piles of papers, coppers and general junk in really annoying places - move it all into a filing tray (or better still, a 'drawer of crap' as I like to call it!) and put a plant there instead. 

So to conclude, whether you're going BIG or small, plants will give that extra special touch to a home that you'll definitely notice and they're great for your health and well-being too.  Just remember to water them!

Sophie x