If you live a busy lifestyle and can only handle low-maintenance plants, these ones are for you…
A recent survey of 400 Irish households found that 40% of people are unable to keep their plants alive. Worse still, they admitted to contributing to the death of more than half of their leafy friends. Pretty dark stuff.
The research was carried out by Galway-based Hygeia Group, which recently launched new indoor plant products in its organic, Atlantic seaweed-based Nature Safe range. And really, are we that surprised with almost half of the people surveyed? Because Team ICM certainly understands the dilemma of wanting to embrace nature in our homes, but never quite having the time to ensure that our plants thrive.
We reached out to Nature Safe ambassador Rachel Purcell, who recently announced on her Instagram that she works to fuel her passion for gardening and indoor plants, which is where she’s at her happiest. However, with a hectic schedule, dividing her time between her marketing job and the coffee business Fetch that she founded with her boyfriend in Thurles, she understands the allure of low-maintenance houseplants. Here are five she recommends picking up if you’re not sure where to start with your newfound commitment.
“Pothos plants are easy to care for and are super adaptable, as various light, soil, and moisture conditions suit them. They’re fast growing plants too which is why I love them.”
“ZZ plants are another really easy one especially for beginners. They’re slow-growing plants that prefer bright, indirect sunlight.”
“Snake plants are perfect for beginners. They adapt to both bright light and dark corners, however a few hours of direct sun boosts growth.”
“The Chinese Evergreen is a great low light indoor plant and is easy to grow, even for beginners.”
“Philodendron Monstera, or the Swiss Cheese Plant, is another easy-to-grow climbing evergreen. This plant prefers bright, indirect sunlight.”
Also, to give us extra assistance on our mission to become more green-fingered, Rachel has shared her top tips for indoor plants…
- Start small – choose one or two of the plants I’ve listed above and build on from there.
- Stick to a watering schedule. Pop a reminder in your phone for a time you know you’ll usually be home, or before work, every week.
- Use a moisture meter. Under and over watering can both be a problem, but a moisture meter will do the work for you!
- Feed them regularly; look out for plant specific products, like Nature Safe’s Orchid Feed.
- Don’t get disheartened. We all have mishaps but you learn all the time, such as where gets the best sunlight in the house, which plants suit you and so on. Stick at it and you’ll definitely reap the rewards when you’re surrounded by all those beautiful lush green colours.
