Budget Decorating: How To Decorate With Plants By Greg Fisher At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Decorating with plants is a great way to breathe life into your home without spending too much money.

Keep reading to learn about the benefits of plants inside your house along with tips on different ways you can use plants to brighten up your space and how you can maintain them.

The Benefits of Plants

Cleaner Air

All indoor plants will clean your air and act as a natural filter, but some do the job a little better than others. Typically ivies, poinsettias, palms (lady palms and areca palms), peace lilies, Boston ferns and spider plants are great at improving the air quality in your environment.

Reduced Humidity Levels

Plant transpiration works to create an indoor humidity level that's ideal for humans. Remember, if the air's too dry, you're vulnerable to flu and colds, but if it's too humid, it can be uncomfortable or cold. Through transpiration and evaporation, indoor plants help to regulate the humidity in your home, keeping it at an ideal level.

Reduced Noise Levels

Plants can actually absorb, reflect and diffract sound. While this difference is more noticeable in environments with hard surfaces and harsh corners, plants can and will diffuse noise and loud echoes. The Peace Lily and the Sweetheart Plant are both good examples of plants that perform in this capacity.

How to Decorate With Plants

Group Them Together

Group plants together if you want to not only create an indoor green space and nice arrangement, but also take advantage of a big window with lots of sunlight. Plus keeping them close together saves on labor, time commitment, and reduces the likelihood of neglecting a plant or two from getting its required water.

Repot Your Plants Regularly

Typically a spring chore, repotting your plants will give them new life and infuse them with healthy new soil. Remember to always wash out a pot thoroughly before you put a plant back inside it.

After repotting them, be sure to place something underneath the pot that can either capture or absorb water that filters through to the bottom. Otherwise you are likely to discover that water leakage from the pot has left a deep stain on your floor or carpet.

Make Your Plants Functional

Try to keep plants that have a functional purpose in your home. For example, have an aloe vera plant handy for cuts, bruises and burns. Or, keep a handy herb garden on your kitchen window ledge. You'll benefit from the beauty of the plants, but also the extra flavors in your cooking.

Protect Your Plants from Your Pets

If your cat or dog likes to destroy house plants, set up a few deterrents to keep your plants healthy and thriving. You can position toothpicks in the soil as the sharp points will deter your pets.

Another method involves spraying the plants with a diffused garlic, pepper and water mixture. The unpleasant smell and taste will keep your pets at bay.

If you discovered, for example, that your dog has left its mark on or near a plant, be sure to clean it up quickly with a carpet spray that is powerful enough to eliminate urine oder. This will not only benefit your family and guests, but also minimize the likelihood of another incident in the same area.

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