Courtesy MelindaMyers.com.
Instead of cut flowers — which are lovely but have a short shelf life — enjoy Valentine’s Day by adding a few new plants to your home’s décor. Match the plants to your style and the growing conditions in each room to create the desired results.
Consider the time you have and want to invest in caring for plants when selecting and placing them throughout your home. If you prefer to give your plants lots of attention and are attentive to watering, add a few challenging plants with those that like consistently moist soil. If you are busy or prefer a more hands-off approach, look for drought-tolerant plants that thrive with minimal care. Check plant tags and reliable resources for information on the light, water and care needed before purchasing your plants.
Start with one room and once satisfied with the results, move to the next. Dividing any project into smaller parts will be easier on your budget and schedule and often results in greater success.
Focus on the room where you spend the most time or feel it needs a greenery boost. Perhaps it’s your living room, family room or a reading nook. Use large floor plants to create a focal point, provide height and balance in the room and brighten bare walls. Fiddle leaf and weeping figs, rubber plants, dragon tree (Dracaena marginata), and palms are a few popular plants often sold as indoor trees. Set them on a plant caddy to protect your floors and make it easier to move them for cleaning and maintenance. Add some decorative artificial lights if needed.
Bring some welcome color to any room. Neon pothos with its bright chartreuse leaves, crotons with its multicolored leaves, dracaenas with striped variegation and Raven ZZ plant with its purple-black foliage are just a few to consider. Incorporate a few low-maintenance flowering plants like anthuriums, bromeliads and moth orchids, all perfect for Valentine’s Day.
If you spend a lot of time cooking, washing dishes and cleaning up, your kitchen may be your priority. A windowsill herb garden provides fresh herbs to include in your favorite recipes. Their fragrance, when given a pet, makes clean up a bit more tolerable.
Create a sense of calm and promote a good night’s sleep with greenery. The beauty, oxygen and boost in humidity plants provide is also beneficial. Consider adding a few trailing plants grown in hanging baskets or displayed on shelves. The cascading foliage provides a bit of screening and softens hard surfaces for a cozier look.
Take advantage of the humidity in the bathroom and enjoy a splash of greenery when stepping out of the shower or tub. Try some ferns, air plants, prayer plants and other tropical plants that benefit from this environment.
Don’t overlook your home office. Research found looking at and tending plants can help increase focus and creativity.
Don’t let fungus gnats ruin the calm you are trying to create. They feed on organic matter in the soil, usually don’t harm your plants, but are annoying as they flit into your face and gather at the windows and your computer screen. Manage them with naturally occurring soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), found in Summit Responsible Solution’s Mosquito Bits. The bacteria will kill the fungus gnat larvae in the soil but is safe for people and pets. Follow the label directions and repeat as needed.
Evaluate your home’s décor and do a bit of research before you start shopping. Like any home project, planning can help save time, increase success and make the botanical aesthetics of Valentine’s Day linger.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including “The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, Second Edition” and “Small Space Gardening.” She hosts “The Great Courses’” “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally-syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moment” TV and radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. For more, visit here. https://www.melindamyers.com/
