Third week

This is the third week of September (already!) and a week with many things to be aware of.  Like, for instance, this is National Indoor Plant Week (Sept 16-22)

The goal of National Indoor Plant Week is to increase awareness of the value of plants in home or office settings.  Indoor plants are more than a pretty face.  They can help clean the air, relieve stress, reduce noise, and connect us with the outside.  Statistics have proven there is a large reduction of fatigue, headache, and coughs along with an improvement in overall well-being and attitude in individuals where plants were added to home or work place.

Myself, I’ve had indoor plants off and on over the past many years depending on where I was living and how my windows were arranged.  Right now, I have a bunch of plants indoors.  This past week I decided to move all my succulents and cacti indoors because of all the rain we’ve been getting this month.  (Of course, as soon as I did, the rain stopped!)  But they are all tender and will have to be moved indoors for the winter months anyway so now they are here a little early.  Not a problem.  There are still more that will have to come in before all is said and done but those will come in gradually when (if) it cools down. 

I’ve talked about air cleaning plants before but here are few I’ve not mentioned you can try –

  

Chrysanthemums are one of the best air-purifying plants you can add to your home. They can remove ammonia and other toxins from the air. Although this plant is an air-purifying powerhouse, it only purifies the air so long as its flowers are blooming, which is roughly six weeks.

Rubber plants are tropical evergreens. These plants love bright settings, moderate watering, and moist soil. They’re not particularly high-maintenance and are good at removing toxins like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air.

Peace Lily is one of the few air purifiers that flower.  It adapts well to low light but requires weekly watering.  This year-round bloomer rids the air of the VOC benzene, a carcinogen found in paints, furniture wax, and polishes. It also sucks up acetone, which is emitted by electronics, adhesives, and certain cleaners.

Sansevieria, also known as mother-in-law's tongue or snake plant, thrives in low light. At night it absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen (a reversal of the process most plants undergo).  In addition to helping lower carbon dioxide, the Sanservieria rids air of formaldehyde and benzene.

In my current house, the problem I have with house plants is a serious lack of light.  While I have a number of windows, I also have solar screens on the windows and a number of trees that shade the house.  I think a couple of these would solve my problem!

Still, according to indoor plant people, Dracaenas, Bromeliads, Maidenhair Fern, Lucky bamboo, Ivy, and Philodendrons will thrive without much light. 

Take care