“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

Such humble yet powerful words, right? Having the chance to watch something grow makes us believe in life and more importantly, the process itself. One sows a seed with a sense of hope. One waters it consistently with a sense of hope. This hope is usually accompanied with expectations, love, promises, longing, and multiple more emotions. But once a new leaf unfurls, a new flower blooms, the plant flourishes, it becomes a child by itself. Seeing its growth, the insatiable human love buys plant after plant until it becomes a “jungalow”.

Putting a full stop to the semi-matured “philosophy” above, let us dive into something fun and practical (what a re-leaf!). To provide a crisp outline of growing houseplants, we shall start with choosing a healthy plant from a nursery. Buying organic seeds online or from ships is also a bold and lovely idea! Moving on, we have to provide the baby plant a space that is ventilated and prone to sun rays. Then comes the habit of watering daily. Fertilizers like Coco peat are to plants what spinach is to Popeye and laddoss to Chotta Bheem. They help our plants grow stronger and lustrous.

Now, let’s get into details and nuances that get easily overlooked:

When letting your plant have a sunbath, rotate them so that sunlight is spread across and the plant grows evenly.
Fertilize them during summers and springs, not during winters.
Use a pot with holes so that the excess water gets drained.
Leftover water from boiled vegetables and similar things could be used to water the plant as it serves as good nutrient for plants. If you use coffee grounds, instead of throwing them away, you can mix them up with the soil.
As much as they need a sunbath, they need a shower too! If the leaves are dusty, they may not perform well. If it’s a plantling or if you have some extra time, you can wipe off the dust from the leaves using a wet towel or sponge. If there are many plants or lots of leaves, you can use a hand shower or pipe at its slowest so that it does not harm the plant.
If the cold climate just got over and you spot tiny yellow leaves, cut them away (gently) for it fastens new growth.

Now that we have learnt some tips and realised that they can calm our nerves when stressed, let’s see what are some affordable and easy homegrown plants!

Easy to grow indoor plants:

ZZ plant

Water it frequently during summer months and water when the soil is dry during winter. If you see yellow tint on leaves then that means there is excess water and it’s time to be patient until all the water dries out before watering again.

Pothos

This plant can be easily propagated. If you want more plants with less money, pothos it is! The more the sunlight, the more the water – it’s as simple as that.

Cactus

They can survive in harsh climates which means if you are in a situation where you cannot water them daily, cactus could be your go-to plant! But just make sure to have a drainage hole in the pot so that the excess water can drain out. Also, cacti need a good lot of sunlight!

Ponytail Palm

It looks as cute as the name sounds! And for a newbie planter, this is a good start. It does not necessarily demand water everyday and both direct and indirect sunlight keeps it happy.

Snake Plant

Just like cactus, water it only when the soil is dry. They add a unique aesthetic to the room, right?

Monstera

It could be a piece of art at your home. Give the little, cute monster indirect sunlight and once it grows it is nothing less than a treat to your eyes. Do dust the leaves once in a while to keep them shiny!!!