one of my favorite spring and summertime activities is going to greenhouses and looking at houseplants. my husband and i love filling our home with real plants, but there’s more to it than just buying a plant that’s “cute.” here are some tips when shopping for your house plants- before, during, and after:
first, have a space in mind for the plant you want. it’s much more challenging to try and find a space for a plant once you’ve already purchased it and brought it home. you’ll end up moving and changing around everything to make it work. cute ways to decorate a home with plants are using baskets, using macrame hangers on the wall, in a window sill, and many more. you can get very creative!
secondly, know what light that space gets. for example, a south-facing window will give you the most consistent light, and a north facing window will be pretty inconsistent. but different plants need different types of light. and it also depends on where you live too. I live in minnesota, and our last place was a north east facing window, and in the winter, it got almost no light, so we lost a handful of our plants because they weren’t getting the light they needed. it’s no use to buy a plant if your environment is not ideal for it.
next, the best time of year to buy a houseplant is going to be when it’s warmer outside. for me living in minnesota, wintertime is not going to be prime for a new plant, but summertime is perfect!
fourth, most plant nurseries have some type of signage to show you the plants that need certain types of light. for example, a spot all for plants that need high light or can survive with little light. if you don’t see something like this, ask one of the workers! they want to help you find a plant for your space.
additionally, once you’ve narrowed it down to a couple plants, here are some things to look for to make sure your plant is healthy before you bring it home!
- no brown or dying leaves
- new growth
- healthy soil
in addition, once your plant is home, don’t repot it right away! most plants are like people; they don’t love lots of change at once. you need to help your plant slowly adjust to your new environment. pick a spot for it (you should’ve already done this) and keep it there; don’t keep moving it around. after a couple weeks, if it looks like it’s growing and doing well, then you can choose to repot it (if it needs it).
*a good tip for when to repot:* if there’s 2+ inches of soil around the entire plant (all sides), then it does NOT need repotting. wait until there is less than 2 inches (it’ll look crammed) before you repot.
lastly, give your plant lots of love! water it and speak life over it. it will grow and thrive.
now i really want to go plant shopping… anyone else?!
tia marie
tia marie 