I have to admit, jungle-ifying my home is one of my most favourite pass times. And once you get into it, you’ll never stop! Get ready for not being able to study or work because the peace lily sitting across the room from you has suddenly caught your attention due to the fact that it’s not as symmetrical as you’d like it to be. It’s either that or you just can’t stop staring at your plants because they’re just so incredibly beautiful. There are so many benefits to having indoor plants, such as: Air purifying: Many plants, such as said peace lily, are air purifiers, and they do this by removing toxins (such as Ammonia and Benzene) from the air through photosynthesis (i.e. they do the science things). And the bigger the leaves, the better the purifying. Here is a list of accessible, air purifying plants to get your hands on:
So, if you ever need an excuse for why you spent this week’s grocery money on plants yet again, it’s for the good of your own health. Mental health: Plants are amazing for our mental health! Not only do they physically help us breathe, but numerous studies suggest that they lower stress and anxiety, as well as help us sleep. I don’t think I even noticed that at first, but when I’m looking after my plants, my mind is definitely focused solely on the care on my plants and not on the stressful stuff. Since expanding my plant collection, I’ve spent less time using technology or on social media, which means less time spent being jealous of someone else’s Instagram glorified life and substituted it with watering, pruning and rearranging my plant collection. My newfound love for plants has also led me to join a few FB plant groups. So, when I am on social media, it’s sharing plant love in a really wholesome online community. This has been a lifesaver during this time of social isolation and has definitely helped me nurture my mental health. If you’re into plants or want to start getting into plants more and are interested in joining an online community of really supportive and like-minded people, I cannot recommend C.I.P.P.A (Crazing indoor plant people Australia) enough! Go search them on FB and request to join! Cost: Yes, plants costs money. Yes, some cost lots of money. Yes, I’ve spent what I’d usually spend on petrol on plants since I began self-isolating. But the good news is plants don’t have to cost a lot if you don’t choose to spend a lot. You could sacrifice your daily coffee money and spend $3-5 on a small plant or set aside a small amount each week to get a bigger, more impressive plant at the end of the month. However, there are a few ways to obtain plants without spending a cent. Taking cuttings:Now firstly, I will note that if you take this too far it quickly crosses the line of morality and becomes stealing. No, I don’t condone digging up plants form other people’s garden for your taking. However, there are many plants that will grow from even just a leaf you’ve found on the ground. For example, I’ve gone to public gardens before and taken any succulent leaves that have fallen on the ground, placed them in small pots with moist potting mix and they’re sprouted. You can also do this with begonia leaves and a few others. Make sure you have a google of what plants you can propagate from leaves before attempting or you may be disappointed. Another thing I like to do is go for a walk in the bush or along the coast of a beach and search for any pretty weeds such as Ivy that I can grab a small cutting of. If you want to do this with Ivy, make sure you get a cutting with some roots. Ivy is a really hardy plant and very easy to propagate. My second suggestion for obtaining free plants is Plant Swaps! Warning: this is the cutest thing ever. There are many FB groups that are for plant people who like to sell and trade their plants in particular regions. If you’re looking for a particular plant, find one that you’re willing to trade, or a cutting of one, post a pic and say what you’re looking for! I recommend joining Melbourne Plant buy Swap and Sell and Rare, tropical and indoor plant BBS on Facebook. Be warned, the Rare plant FB group has its fair share of serious, well-meaning plant people who may scoff at the mention of a ‘peace lily’ or any other ‘common’ plant. Now that you know some of the benefits of becoming a plant nerd, and how to best obtain plants with a low budget in mind, here are some of my favourite tips and tricks for arranging your plants in your home! I highly recommend giving some or one of these a try! Hanging plants: We saw it first with the macramé hanging pots, now get ready for the new and improved driftwood hanging plants! I honestly don’t know what part of this project is more fun, going on an adventure to find your ideal driftwood to use, or arranging your plants on it once it’s hanging! Here is an example of my hanging driftwood in my lounge room. We got some hooks drilled into the celling where we wanted it to hang, then we went to Somers back beach which is famous for its abundance of driftwood. We grabbed some perfectly twisted and crazy looking logs (unfortunately one of our logs didn’t make it home as a free ranging pup on the beach saw us dragging the logs along and decided he wanted one. We couldn’t say no). Once home we used some jute to wrap around the log and secure it to the ceiling hooks. Then we secured some hanging pots and ta da! Moss poles: Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been really loving making my own moss poles for some of my climbing plants. This first came about when I got frustrated with the plastic trellises and brown boring moss poles that come with some of the plants I purchased. Then I purchased my beautiful Philodendron melanochrysum (below) and I was determined to make it a more aesthetically pleasing pole to climb up. This may look like a really complicated DIY, but it was actually really simple. First step is to collect some moss. I drove up to the Dandenong ranges for a bush walk and collected some moss along the way. Next step is to find a log or thicker stick to use as a base. Next, find some cotton thread lying around the house somewhere (or other string that is equally as thin). Then begin to place pieces of moss on the log while winding the thread to secure them in place. I find keeping the moss moist by sitting it is a bucket of water (like with the kokedama) helps this process. Then, you can place your pole in a pot that is half- filled with potting mix before placing more in and planting you plant close to the base of the moss pole. I made a small one to start off with for my baby Philodendron, then challenged myself with the big moss pole. It’s important to note that if you want to keep your moss looking green and alive, it needs humidity. Lots of misting (once or twice a day) or placing it in the bathroom will solve this. Make sure you couple your moss pole with a plant that enjoys humidity too. Climbing plants: Another really cool thing you can do with plant’s that vine and climb is securing them to your wall/ roof. This looks particularly great if you have a spare minimalist white wall at home. I have begun doing this with my Monstera adansonii (swiss cheese plant) and he’s now loving his new identity as a wall plant.
Some other plants that would make stunning wall climbers are:
I hope this blog has inspired you to delve deeper into the world of plant ownership and cure some of that isolation boredom! Also note 'Pinterest' is your best friend for indoor plant inspiration, just prepare to be jealous of other people’s plant arrangements. Happy planting!
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The happy Deakin Scarecrow family- Russel Scarecrow, Rita Hayworth and Benny Cumberbale |