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Aaron's A to Z Garden of
Information
Houseplants for Beginners
Houseplants for
Beginners
by ChaChanna Simpson
Have you ever thought of getting a houseplant? Why not? For thousands of years
the practice of growing plants has brought aesthetic and therapeutic pleasure to
many. Maybe you have tried to keep a houseplant and it died. That's okay -
below, I'll show you, step-by-step, how to take care of a new one.
You're probably wondering; why in the world should I want a houseplant? Plants
are much more than pleasant additions to a home or office, they actually filter
and remove toxins in the air by absorbing contaminants. According to research
there are much more harmful air pollutants indoors than outdoors. One culprit is
formaldehyde, you know the liquid that pickled the pig's heart in anatomy class,
it is also used for making paper bags, facial tissue, paper towels, and many
common household cleaning agents. Plants take this and other toxic substances
through tiny openings in their leaves (stoma) removing trace levels of toxic
vapors.
We also can learn valuable lessons when we are tending to plants. By pruning a
plant we learn to rid ourselves of hostility and learn patience, peace, and
contentment.
Having a plant is great for the home but it also provides a calming, spiritual
effect in the workplace. Their presence has been known to ease tension and
reduce stress. In hospitals, patients who have a view of plants from their
window recover faster from illness. The calming and pleasant nature view that a
garden creates gives patients an escape from the stress of the hospital setting.
Plants even you can't kill For those of you who weren't born with a green thumb,
let me introduce you to a houseplant that requires little maintenance. The
pothos (Epipreminum aureum) is a beautiful lush green vine plant that can live
in little or natural light. It can hang low around your windowsill or drape
across your bookcase. And if you are afraid you'll forget to water it, you'll be
relieved to know this plant only needs to be thoroughly watered when the top of
the soil dries out. The pothos can tolerate any temperature and only needs to be
fertilized once a month during the spring and summer seasons. When potting your
plant use liquid indoor fertilizer and follow the package instructions. During
the summer spray the plant with clean water to remove dust from the leaves but
make sure to spray them early in the day to allow the leaf surface to dry. Leaf
disease can develop if the leaf surface remains wet overnight.
So now that you know what gardeners have known for years, why not go out to
create your own little sacred space in your home or cubicle?
ChaChanna Simpson may be contacted at
http://www.twentity.com
chachanna@twentity.com
. Click here to view more of their articles.
ChaChanna Simpson is the publisher and editor of Twentity.com, the free
bi-weekly ezine for twentysomethings featuring cheap and free events.
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