• "Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds and shine!" - Buddha

House plants! Bring them inside to clear the air.

When summer arrived, months ago, I took all my houseplants outside and let them grow wild in the sun and rain.  It’s like a long plant-summer-camp. They get unkempt and entwined and genrally thrive. But last week, we had a frost, so I had to bring them all back inside. I’m sure they are sad to come indoors, where they’ll slowly suffer through the long winter. There is too much dry heat and usually some over-or under-watering, depending on the plant and who waters them (Sometimes my children are very zealous waterers!)
But, even though bedraggled plants will not be thrilled to be inside, I keep it up because plants are good for a house. I was just talking with friends who were saying they had killed so many house plants that they didn’t bother anymore-which I can understand. But even if you just buy a few in the fall, as the nurseries are shutting down, and get them to last through the winter you’ll be doing yourself and your health a favor. The plants I still grow are the ones that are really difficult to kill, especially if they’ve just had a summer outside to get strong and healthy.
I thunked a big Jade Plant and then a Geranium on my daughter’s windowsill the night the frost was coming. They half-obstructed her window and will drop leaves on her floor until they go outside again. But when I asked, “Is that OK?” stepping back to look at them, she said “Yup, I love how they make everything wilder.” And they do. Just seeing the sun shine through the leaves and seeing the flowers bloom makes life inside feel more connected to the nature outside.
Philodendron

These two lovely plants are actually from my friend Kate’s house. They looked a bit more gorgeous than mine. So, bringing nature inside is helpful to lift our mood and help us heal as well. This article refers to studies showing that houseplants actually improve mood and increase productivity as well as help patients heal faster in hospitals.
African Violet
And did you know; houseplants also clear the air?
Unhealthy Volotile Organic Compounds or VOC’s are absorbed through the pores of leafy plants and processed into harmless compounds through photosynthesis.
Carpets, building supplies, smoke, fabric softener, paints, polishes, carpet cleaners and other household items can be outgassing VOC pollutants like Benzene, formaldehyde, acetone  and Trichloroethane into our homes. When our houses are closed up in the winter they can aggravate asthma, cause headaches and cause other health problems. For more info you can read:

Plants absorb those VOCs and then with the help of microbes in the soil they break them down. There are some plants that are extra good at doing this (and are blessedly also difficult to kill like Snake plant, Spider plant and Golden Pothos.) But any leafy plant will do.
Here is another article about some great plants for cleaning the air after renovations posted by This Old House.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20452423,00.html
Jade Tree

My Rose-scented Geranium also smells lovely, so I love to walk by that on the windowsill. Many people have luck with Rosemary, which is a great herb to have around; it purifies the air, smells wonderful and can be used in cooking.
Spider Plant

There are so many options of plants to bring inside to help you get through the coming winter. And then when spring comes again you can open your windows and bring the plants outside to celebrate!

Have a great week!
xoxo
Katherine

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