The Best Low Maintenance Plants to Start Your Indoor Garden
Creating a space where you feel relaxed, comfortable and at home is essential to overall wellness. And there’s no better way to boost your mood, promote your mental health and cultivate a beautiful home than with easy- to-maintain indoor plants. Filling your home with greenery is a snap with the right indoor plants for seniors. The optimal plants to use in your own indoor garden are best if they basically grow by themselves – and, of course, add everyday beauty to your senior living home or apartment.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Not only do peace lilies bloom a beautiful white flower, but they also absorb and break down harmful compounds like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and benzene. Peace lilies are one of the best low-maintenance indoor plants because they only need a small amount of indirect sunlight and water.
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)
Another air-purifying house plant, Boston ferns are incredibly easy to care for and, as evergreen perennials, they stay lush for a long time. Ferns of any type make lovely indoor house plants, but Boston ferns are ideal for low-light spaces and only require watering about once a week
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)
The best thing about spider plants is that their light green shoots grow very quickly and up to 3 feet long. While they do need lots of indirect sunlight and watering, spider plants produce hanging starters that can easily be replanted in different pots.
Pothos (Epipremnum)
Pothos are one of the sturdiest house plants you can buy. Even under artificial fluorescent lights, pothos thrive. They’re also highly resistant to disease, though they do require a lot of watering. These are trailing plants that can grow to more than 10 feet long, which makes them perfect for hanging baskets in a cozy corner of your home.
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena Sanders)
Lucky bamboo is a whimsical house plant. For one thing, it’s not bamboo at all. It’s actually a type of dracaena plant that can grow in water without soil. For another, lucky bamboo stems will bend or spiral around anything they can cling to. As long as they’re in well-lit areas, they’re among the best indoor plants for seniors.
Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)
There are many varities and every individual plant of dumb cane is unique. Each of their broad leaves are speckled with lovely light green patterns. They prefer warmer temperatures and plenty of sunlight, perfect for balconies or windowsills. While they’re lush and vibrant, they’re not a good choice for homes with pets or children. The sap they produce internally can cause temporary mouth numbness and loss of speech if ingested – giving the “dumb” plant its name.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema Commutated)
The Chinese evergreen plant is as adaptable as a house plant can be. It quickly conforms to practically any humidity, soil, moisture or temperature, which makes it high on the list of easy-to-take-care-of indoor plants.
English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
English ivy, or common ivy, is a climbing plant often used to decorate exterior walls and terraces. But they’re also one of the best low-maintenance indoor plants. Because they’re evergreen perennials and climbing plants, many people pot them in hanging baskets, letting the vines cascade down like a waterfall.
Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)
The tree-like rubber plants, also called rubber figs, can grow to more than 8 feet tall. However, their growth depends on the size of the pot they’re planted in. Smaller pots mean rubber plants won’t grow as tall. Because of their arboreal aesthetic, they’re one of the most popular houseplants today. With ample indirect sunlight and weekly watering, the rubber plant can add gracious greenscape to any space.
Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)
The phalaenopsis orchid is unlike other orchids in that it blooms year-round. They require consistent soil moisture and prefer to be up against windows to maximize indirect light exposure. Moth orchids are the perfect pop of color for your verdant in-home garden.
Health Benefits of Indoor Plants
Indoor plants for seniors have a number of benefits for your mental health and physical wellness. Plants like ferns, spider plants, and ivy filter potentially harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide out of the air and convert it to rich oxygen. Studies have shown that caring for plants helps older adults reduce the risk of cognitive decline or dementia. Gardening in general is proven to be a positive way to reduce stress and promote mood-boosting chemicals in your brain, even compared to many other hobbies.
Lush Living at Edgemere
Edgemere’s award-winning landscape, beautiful gardens and stunning grounds inspire residents to cultivate their own green thumbs in their private apartment homes. Serene surroundings and our comprehensive wellness program make for the perfect stress-reducing, mood-boosting combination. To learn more about life at Edgemere, contact us through our website or give us a call at 214.865.7520.