Homeowners: Go Green With These Houseplants

Come January, most of our holiday greenery and decorations are a memory, and our homes can seem rather dull without them. Furthermore, January is still a long way from spring and blooming gardens, so what are we to do in the meantime? Adding greenery by way of houseplants is one way to brighten things up—a fact which will come into particular focus on Jan. 10 for National Houseplant Appreciation Day.

If you're ready to liven up your new house found among Albany homes for sale, our real estate agents are happy to share some delightful ways to do so.

1. Decorate your houseplants 
   Maybe you're a bit tired of your old houseplants, but they're still hale and hearty, and you don't want to spend the money buying new ones. One way to get a new lease on your old houseplants is to decorate them. It doesn't have to be Christmas to get festive in your home. Drape beads or mini-lights on leaves, or hang ornaments and some sparkly jewelry. You can also transplant plants to a new planter or paint or redecorate planters. Another trick is to move plants around to a new location (if there's enough light) for a new look.
   
   
2. Build your houseplant collection to clean the air
   Did you know houseplants can improve your indoor air quality? Certain houseplants are known for their air-cleaning abilities, removing such chemicals as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene—and other so-called Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs—and replacing them with clean oxygen that helps us breathe and feel better. Among the best air-cleaning plants: Boston fern, Gerbera daisy, rubber plant, English ivy, dwarf date palm, and weeping fig. These plants are relatively inexpensive, so you can build a collection by buying smaller plants and growing them into larger containers.
   
   
3. Grow houseplants for their usefulness
   Not all houseplants need to be about providing greenery. Many can be grown for food, culinary value, or as medicinals. For instance, these herbs grow well by a sunny window: basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Some of these, such as mint, basil, and rosemary, also give off a lovely fragrance that freshens the air naturally, without chemicals. For a small investment, you can buy grow lights and shelves to raise tomatoes (cherry size is best for indoors) or even a Meyer lemon tree to get fresh lemons. Aloe vera plants are useful for treating burns. 
   
   
4. Raise humidity in the winter
   When the furnace removes moisture from the air in the winter, relative humidity in the home can become uncomfortably low. As a result, we can develop dry throat, eyes, and nasal passages, which can worsen allergic symptoms, as well as asthma and respiratory infections. While you can boost humidity with a humidifier, another good way is to grow houseplants. Tropical plants are tops for raising humidity. They also help cool off the air, as the moisture they give off makes the skin feel cooler. 
   
   
5. Houseplants keep you company
   If you travel a lot or work long hours away from home, you might be better off acquiring houseplants rather than a pet. Studies show plants help reduce anxiety while improving memory and attention span. So you could do worse than come home to green things. Just make sure you choose relatively hardy species that don't need much attention, such as Chinese evergreen, snake plant, peperomia, pothos, lady palm, and various succulents.

Our real estate staff has some great tips to help you settle in your new home or get your home ready to sell. Contact us today.