Livin' La Vida Verde

I grew up with a mother whose green thumb would put Poison Ivy to shame. The woman can cultivate anything! You may think that plant is dead, but give it to my mom and she’ll whisper that thing right back to life and thensome. I, however, was not given such gifts. My plant magic consists of being able to keep a succulent alive half a year. I don’t know why, I just kill anything that hues green.

As I drooled over the past year’s dark cottage core/academia aesthetic styles, I pondered—can I too enjoy the benefits of plant life? I decided to do some research on helping me get started and if you too have a black thumb, maybe you will consider these leafy specimens.

Top 5 Favorite Plants for Your Home

The Snake Plant aka Mother-in-law’s tongue

I’ve seen these around before, but man, did this become a popular plant in recent times. This one will help remove toxins in the air and require a quite minimal maintenance program

Image Source: Plantz

Kentia Palm

Requiring little to no water and light, the Kentia is perfect to add some height (12-18 inches) to your space. They live a long time and are great at purifying the air.

My Favorite RVA Plant Houses

Sneed’s: They are friendly and helpful and have great classes, oh and don’t forget Cricket the kitty!

Cole’s Plants: Love this locally owned shop and has a great variety of houseplants made for home decorating.

Green Vibes RVA Pop Ups: Love what this lady does. It really does feel like walking into someone’s home and picking out what speaks to you.

Lavender Fields: Not only is a nice drive there, but I love ending my purchases with some Lavender Honey Ice Cream or Tea. They have a good variety of things here and it’s a nice place to visit.

Devil’s Ivy aka Pothos Ivy

This climber of a plant has been a staple in my mother’s home for decades. You barely have to glance at her and she thrives. She’s fun to decorate with as well, especially if you have a screen for her to adorn.

The Peace Lily

Just as it suggests, this low maintenance beauty curbs anxiety. I like that it’s a flowering plant to compliment your home decor as well.

Succulents

Yes, I know they’ve been trendy for a while now, but honestly these are my favorites. They just provide such versatile looks with color, shape, and texture. You can do so much with them and they don’t require much in return. Consider the Aloe plant and its medicinal properties.