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Turn your home into a jungle with our pick of succulents, palms and more
If your living space is feeling a little drab, there’s no better way to inject a splash of colour and life than with luscious green leaves.
A great way to freshen up your environment, house plants come in a variety of forms, from towering jungle palms to tiny succulents with an option to suit every room, be it a sun-soaked conservatory or dimly lit office.
But besides looking cool and giving gardenless dwellers a chance to flex their green thumbs, there are many other reasons why adopting house plants is a good idea. While some simply provide visual interest, others have the ability to purify the air and absorb pollutants, as well as help boost your mood and improve anxiety. In fact, one study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that interacting with indoor plants can reduce both physiological and psychological stress.
But let’s be honest – most of us aren’t plant experts, and have no idea where to start when it comes to choosing the right one, or knowing how to properly care for them. If you fall into this category, fear not, because it’s easier than you think to cultivate your own collection of handsome green leaves.
The thing to remember when it comes to plants is that they were not all born equal and all have slightly different needs. So, make sure to consider the type of environment a plant needs to flourish. Next, you need to perfect your watering routine and, while it’s vitally important to remember to give them a drink, you should also note that doing so every day could be just as detrimental as not watering it at all. As a rule of thumb, the best way to know when your plant is thirsty is to put your fingers in the soil – if it’s dry, then your plant needs watering.
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Whether you want to become a fully-fledged indoor jungle-cultivator, or are simply looking for something to brighten up your desk, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best houseplants to buy online, taking careful consideration of each plant’s benefits, toxicity levels to children and pets, and diva credentials.
For a plant that’s truly got it all, we highly recommend investing in a kentia palm from Patch Plants. Not only does it look seriously cool, but it’s air-purifying, pet-safe and can tolerate some neglect, making it a low maintenance and trouble-free choice for experts and novices alike. Ours sits pride of place in the corner of the dining room, making it instantly feel more sophisticated and welcoming.
If you’re after something a little more understated though, Urban Outfitter’s string of plants is a must-have trailing plant, while the Chinese money plant is a superb all-rounder that even the most unschooled plant parent will be able to help flourish.
For the latest discounts and other homeware offers, try the links below:
To be the best plant parent you can be, read our guide to bringing the outdoors in, according to experts