About a year ago I came to like caring for plants. I had always enjoyed having plants, but they would often die on me. I don’t know what happened, but it seems like my thumb has turned green, and I think it has to do with choosing ‘simple to care for’ house plants. When one of your plants starts thriving, you feel inspired and proud — at least I do! I’ve started to enjoy gardening and I highly recommend starting this new hobby. I promise it’s not as hard as it seems. Whenever I buy a new plant, I look for a house plant, google how to care for it (which is usually easy), and write it down. Every week, I water my plants if needed, and that’s pretty much it. When my plants are doing great, I feel accomplished, and my room looks great too! If you’d like to care for a plant or two, here are some good beginner ones, which are also my favorites!
Mother-in-law’s tongue
Its Latin name is Dracaena trifasciata (formerly Sansevieria trifasciata) and this one is my favorite. I think it looks great, but most importantly, it’s so easy to care for. It tolerates a range of growing conditions and doesn’t need much sun or much water. Keep it in indirect sunlight and water it only when the soil is completely dry, maybe every two weeks (but check). When it’s watering time, I let water fully through the soil, and pour out any excess water!
African Spear Plant
Its Latin name is Dracaena angolensis (formerly Sansevieria cylindrical). Since this one is from the same family as the previous one, care for it is pretty much the same. Keep it in indirect sunlight and water only when the soil is dry. Watering every week to every other week is generally enough. Although from the same family, this one looks much different, as its Latin name states it’s cylindrical, thus very exotic looking, not like your everyday plant!
Aloe Vera
Its Latin name is Aloe barbadensis miller and it’s a succulent. Aloe Vera needs bright, natural light. It’s best placed in a window with bright, indirect sunlight. Aloe prefers to be watered regularly, but again, the soil needs to be completely dried out between waterings.
As for where to buy these plants, basic house plants can be found at your local supermarket. When available, I usually get mine at Lidl since they are priced great. I had to get the Cylindrical sansevieria in my local plant shop, but it’s not hard to find. I prefer bigger plants with leaves, but if you prefer succulents or cactuses, they are also a good way to start. Just don’t over-water them; they need even less than you think, especially during winter. This is also the biggest ‘hack’ I learned, plants should be under-watered rather than over-watered since their roots can root in such conditions.
