The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Houseplant Care

It makes perfect sense that the pandemic has seen a run on houseplants. We all want to bring more life to our homes, to feel the beauty and hope of another intelligence. Plants remind us that we are part of nature and, despite all we’ve done, that nature still works. Or can work, with a little care. “It’s a total relationship, ” says Mickey Hargitay, Los Angeles’ go-to expert, whose shop, Mickey Hargitay Plants, has been booming unlike any other period during in its 42 years in business. “In the last couple years, it’s been refreshing to see so many people experiencing it. Once you get to know your plant, you can definitely learn to speak the language. ” As a couple of urban farmers, we’ve found that our relationships with plants, both outdoors and indoors, has helped us maintain our sanity over the last couple years. But there’s something special about living with a plant in the home. It’s easy, inexpensive (even fancy shops sell small plants in 6-inch pots for about $20), and it really does make you feel good to be in daily communication with another living creature. Much like the plants we grow outdoors, the basic elements you need for indoor houseplant care are sun, water, and food. Hargitay says the place to start planning your indoor garden is with the sun. Most popular houseplants are jungle dwellers that grow in the understory, adapted to dappled or filtered light, which means they want plenty of sun but not direct sun. So start by thinking about where your new companion will live. Will it be front-and-center in a sunny kitchen window? Hanging from a hook in the bathroom? Standing tall in a dim corner? Here are some of the easiest and most popular plants for different scenarios. Charissa Seloadji, a houseplant specialist at Sunset Nursery in Los Angeles, also helped us select some of the tropical beauties on this list. They are sold all over the U. S. and can thrive in anybody’s house.