TOP 10 FLOWERS & PLANTS YOU CAN GROW AT HOME

Looking to pick a new hobby or ways tospruce up your home with some lush flowers and greeneries? Look no further, because this one’s just the read for all of you looking to be new plant moms and dads!

Studies have shown that flowers and plants can really help with productivity, boosting your mood, concentration and creativity levels. While they are so good for your brain and well-being, they also help topurify and clean the indoor air by producing oxygen and absorbing toxins!

That being said,house plants and flowersmake a great addition to yourHong Kong homes as they add a lovely pop of colour and life while alsocreating a healthier living space. With the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic situationand needing tospend more time indoors with both living and working from home, we definitely need all the ways we can get to help with brightening our mood.

However, yes, we hear you! Finding the perfect spot for your plant babies to flourish and bloom in apartments can be quite tricky as you navigate through challenges like lack of natural light, extreme temperatures of the air conditioner and even high humidity levels. But, don’t you worry as there are plenty oflow maintenance plants you can choose from that thrive in most conditions, so, we’ve got you covered there, too!

Here’s a handy list of our top 6flowers and plants you can grow at home with ease, alongside sometips on how to care for them.

1. Pothos Plant

Also known as Devil’s Fern, this is one of the most durable plantsout there. If you’re looking for anair purifier-type of plant, this one’s perfect for you as it’s incrediblyeffective for cleaning the air of toxins like formaldehyde and benzene fumes which are usually found in freshly painted rooms. 

Pothos plants are best kept somewhere bright but not under direct light. They do come in quite a variety but, just remember if the light is too low they may turn completely green to make up for all that lack of light. And the great thing about them? You don’t have to water them too much! But, if you’re trying to gauge when they’re thirsty orwhen to water your Pothos plants, look at their leaves. If they start drooping, then they need water! 

Also, we highly recommend that you grow your Pothos plants in a hanging container if you prefer them to grow out into beautiful cascades as they are a “climbing plant”. Just remember to re-pot them into a bigger container if you start noticing the roots taking over the pot completely; that’s basically the plant's way of saying that it can’t breathe in it anymore.

One more important thing to remember, this plant will not be suitable for your home if you have animals or small children around as it can be slightly poisonous (not catastrophic) if ingested and irritable to the skin if touched. 

2. Peace Lilies
   A member of the Araceae family, Peace Lilies are incredibly easy to look after and it’s such a bonus too, as they’re also so beautiful to look at and to have at home. 

Here’s a little fun fact; Peace Lilies are listed in NASA’s list of ‘Top Ten Household Air Cleaning Plants’, and they’re said to begreat for anyone who’s prone to dust allergies. However, it is highly advised that Peace Lilies be kept away from animals and small children due to their calcium oxalate content which can be toxic to them. 

Depending on how you grow your Peace Lilies, they can take on more of the lovely white sheath of flowers if exposed to more light while ones grown in lower lights will have fewer flowers and will look more like your traditional greenery. 

Thisbeautiful indoor plant can grow to about 2-4 feet and will only need watering with soft or distilled water when you notice them to slightly droop. That’s more or less about once a week only! It’s superlow maintenance and thrives in room temperatures (18-30 degrees) that most people are comfortable in.

As for aesthetics, Peace Lilies look great when potted in a clear container or glass vase where you can see the roots!

3. Monstera Deliciosa aka The Swiss Cheese Plant

Hip, eye-catching and makes for a beautiful plant addition to your home for a great number of reasons - they’re incredibly easy to care for,can grow well either in bright, indirect and low light,super trendy and not to mention, such anInstagrammable plant! All you have to consider for thisstylish plant is some good amount of space as the plant grows upwards AND outwards as it matures (30-60cm a year).

Care tips for your Monstera: be sure to water the plant at least once weekly and be sure that the soil does not dry out completely. And if you want it to really flourish? Try feeding it with some general all-purpose plant fertiliser a couple of times a year at least, especially during thespring or summer season and you’ll see your Monstera looking reallylush and beautiful!

4. Lucky Bamboo

Want plants but feeling a little lazy about having to take care of them? Well, the Lucky Bamboo is exactly the plant for you and your space, then. It’s an immensely popular plant amongst Hong Kong-ers, it literally requires very little to no maintenance and it is said to help with feng shui and good fortune! 

There’s apparently an ideal number to a vase, which is three as they signify happiness, long life andwealth or prosperity. All you have to do is just put them into a vase or a pot with lots of water to cover the roots. The water would only need changing once or every two months, or whenever it starts to smell. 

The Lucky Bamboo plant will thrive under bright, indirect light and if you want it to grow faster, do rotate the sun-facing side from time to time!

5. Begonias
   You can always infuse a lot of greens into your spaces, but sometimes we just need that extra burst of colour to brighten up our moods. Begonias will definitely add that touch of lovely vibrancy to any home!

While they aren’t categorised as a sturdy plant, they don’t really take that much effort to take care of either. It is, however, important tochoose the right type of Begonias for your home as some of them don’t do well indoors such as ones of the fibrous species. So, it would be best to avoid that type altogether.

Begonias thrive well with bright, indirect light and good humidity, which wouldn’t be a problem in our tropical location. However, they are very susceptible to root rot, so they do require a little more TLC in that area. This is one of the reasons why some gardeners suggest even waiting until the plant begins showing some signs of dryness before watering them at all. 

6. Snake Plant

We totally understand that sometimes it can be really frustrating when all your efforts to try tocare for a plant just isn’t working quite as well as you’d like them to. We recommend going for somethingsuper low maintenance, hardy and with the ability to survive even the most difficult environment - theSnake Plant!

While the name does sound a little intimidating, don’t let that deter you. This plant does the most while needing the least care and attention from you! It works well in low light, requires minimal watering, can withstand long periods of neglect and they work overtime on top of that! Most plants usually absorb oxygen at night, but the Snake Plant releases it and purifies the air in your home while you snooze.

One thing to note is that you just need to avoid overwatering this plant and they will be hard to kill!