Plants that can be part of the interior

  • Editorials
Hyewon Cheong

     If you hear the word, garden, you might not pay attention because that word does not inspire enthusiasm in many. People usually think that gardening is for those who choose farming as their full-time job. However, you can also have a garden at your house, on your veranda, and these are not the only ways to place some plants at your house. You can use plants in your interior! Nowadays, there is a neologism: planterior. Planterior, the combination of plant and interior, is a popular form of interior design that involves decorating the inside of a building with plants. Aesthetic pleasure is not its only advantage. 

 

     First of all, you can eat plants that you grow, provided they are edible. Nowadays, at the supermarket, people care about whether the vegetables on the shelf are organic or not. But you don’t need to consider that if you eat your own fresh, organic, and healthy vegetables without having to leave the comfort of your home. In addition, growing vegetables inside the house is not that hard to do. The only materials you need are pots, soil, light, and water. 

 

     Let’s take a deeper look.

  1. If you want to have a more professional approach to gardening, you need to choose the right size of pot depending on the species. 

     a. 10-inch pot: leaf lettuce, bush beans, Swiss chard, turnips, etc.                           b. 14-inch pot: cabbage, collards, carrots, peas, spinach, arugula, etc.                   c. 18-inch pot or larger: broccoli, eggplant, pepper, tomato, and any kind of green,        leafy vegetables.                                                                                                             d. 24-inch pot or larger: cucumber, summer squash, etc. 

         Every pot size needs to have drainage holes for excess water. 

  1. Soil. To grow a successful vegetable garden, start with a potting mix. 

  2. Plants need sunlight. Place your pot in a spot that receives a lot of sunlight during the day. 

  3. You need to give them water. Normally, vegetable plants need 1-2 inches of water per week. If you give them too little water, their roots can’t grow deep enough so the plant won’t be able to gather nutrients from the soil. Furthermore, irrigate them twice a week, providing half the amount of water required per week each time. It is best to water the plants before 11 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Following the steps listed above, will ensure their successful growth. 

 

     Secondly, there are some plants that purify the air, known as foliage plants that have health-promoting benefits such as filtering the air, absorbing noise, and reducing stress. Maybe, to some people, foliage plant can be an unfamiliar word. In order to grow foliage plants at home, there are  certain things you must pay attention to: 

  1. Lighting: Sunlight exposure from the south provides better light intensity than western, eastern, and northern.

  2. Temperature: Foliage plants are from a tropical forest so the best temperature range for these plants is between 16-27℃, similar to the temperature of their origin. 

  3. Soil: While it is growing, if the plant outgrows the pot and there is no place for the new root, try repotting. Root health is extremely important to the survival of a plant because roots anchor the plant and absorb water and nutrients. In order to maintain the health of the roots, make sure you have the proper soil mix for each plant. Creating an environment which is as similar as possible to a tropical forest - the hometown of foliage plants, will ensure a longer lifespan for your plant.

 

     Another possible plant you could grow is the succulent plant. Succulent plants are useful and easy to grow. Succulent means juicy and tender, so a succulent plant stores water in its leaves and stems. It can live up to a decade if it is given sufficient light, water, and nutrients. Because succulent plants survive on little soil and water, you can use them to decorate everywhere you want, even on walls. It is important to water them sparingly since too much water will flood the roots, causing them to rot and die. The soil has to be a desert-dweller mix, which combines half potting soil with something inorganic such as perlite. This well-draining, low nutrient soil is ideal for succulent plants because they do not need many nutrients. However, when you are changing the soil, be careful not to harm its roots since they are quite thin and fragile. 

 

     The green colour of most plants is beneficial to your mental and physical health. It is a colour that has the most powerful remedial value. Because humans have had an inherent connection of green with freshness and fertility, since time immemorial, they feel secure and comfortable around it. Green Traffic lights are an example of this fact. For physical health, the green plants ensure the function of a healthy liver and the nervous system. Additionally, they have a lot of chlorophylls that are able to stimulate metabolism and facilitate stress release. Edible plants can improve blood circulation and cell regeneration. Finally, since "the green advantage" of plants is indisputable, it is advisable to embrace planterior, both for aesthetic and physical well-being benefits. 

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