LEAFY 101 101 HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT Page 2 Page 3 LEAFY INTRODUCTION Have you stepped into a home, and everything just felt “right”? The air is fresh, sunlight trickles in through a window, and bunches of leafy green plants bask joyfully in the sun’s warm glow. The room abounds with life, vitality, and energy, but with an unmistakable aura of calm and relaxation. The furniture might all be from Ikea, but something about the room feels so unique and personal, unlike any place you’ve been before. 101 101 That feeling of admiration and calm you experience is what happens when wellness, home décor, and lifestyle collide. CAREHOUSEPLANT Houseplants have been a part of décor, wellness, and lifestyle for a long time, and lots of people have used them to beautify a space, bring a little nature inside, and express their personality. Humans have always sought beautiful, calming, vibrant spaces, especially in HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT their homes, which explains why houseplants have gained such tremendous popularity. At Leafy, we’ve been San Francisco Bay Area’s indoor plant experts for years, and it’s a thrill to be on the frontlines of the houseplant revival. The more we help people discover the joy of plants, the more people we want to help! We started as a brick and mortar store, then expanded into online ordering and shipping nationwide to keep up with demand. But we wanted to take it one step further by empowering people not just with our vibrant, healthy Leafy plants, but with the knowledge to select and care for them properly. And so, the idea for the Houseplant Care 101 book was born. Page 4 Page 5 LEAFY Welcome to Houseplant Care 101! We won’t go crazy with exotic, hard-to-care-for plants with exacting care requirements, and we won’t try to boggle you with strict humidity We love houseplants. While we’d be happy to go on (and on, and on) requirements or complicated soil pH balances. about the finer points and details of caring for each individual and unique variety, that’s not what this book is about. Instead, we’ll keep it simple and cover the need-to-know basics of how to choose a plant and pot, and what plants need to survive. We’ll cover Houseplant Care 101 is for people who are new to caring for the basics of sunlight, water, humidity, and other environmental factors houseplants. that make for happy plants. Maybe you’re considering buying your very first Leafy friend. You’ve We’ll give you the low down on the most common plant problems and inherited a Spider Plant from your Mom, or have a cute collection of care faux-pas, how to avoid them. You’ll learn how to recognize the signs tiny cacti and succulents and are looking to take it to the next level. of a plant that is not thriving and what to do to help it. Maybe you’ve been admiring everyone’s ZZ Plants on Instagram or are in love with that gigantic exotic plant in your neighbor’s front Before we get our hands dirty, though, we’ll kick off the journey into window and want one for your own. plant parenthood with one simple question - why? Why plants are worth the effort, and what they can do for you, your home, and your 101 Maybe you already have a Leafy plant or two on order or have been happiness. happily watering a few plants for a while, but have some questions 101 about how to care for them before you expand your plant family. So grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, and let’s get started. CAREHOUSEPLANT This book is for you. This is Houseplant Care 101. HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT Page 6 Page 7 LEAFY THE BENEFITS OF HOUSEPLANTS We might be a little biased, but we think houseplants are great. 101 However, they do take time, attention, and commitment. In short, 101 they take work. So - what’s in it for you? CAREHOUSEPLANT When some people think about the benefits of houseplants, they only consider the aesthetic function that solely relates to how it brightens or beautifies the home, which is totally fair because plants can make any room look amazing. HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT But there is so, so much more to them than that. This chapter will highlight the benefits of keeping house plants, what’s in it for you, and why they’re worth it. Page 8 Page 9 LEAFY 101 Make Your Home Look gardening can be a great way else and enjoys doing it, they 101 -and Feel- Stunning to help treat depression, will take pride in ensuring it CAREHOUSEPLANT anxiety, and other psychiatric thrives, and that is where the With houseplants, an ordinary conditions. Many encourage sense of accomplishment looking room can become patients to nurture plants comes in. comfortable, beautiful, and alive. because it reduces their Even a few small houseplants stress, encourages mindful- Getting a houseplant when can imbue any space with a ness, and adds a feeling of it’s small and watching it grow feeling of cozy peacefulness, but fulfillment and satisfaction to and bloom into something HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT let it still abound with life energy. people’s lives. beautiful gives a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Plants exude a “close to nature Even if you don’t strug- feeling” that, as humans, taps gle with maintaining good Imagine coming back home into something very primal, au- emotional well-being, it’s after a long day’s work and thentic, and necessary within us. still beneficial to engage in looking forward to checking in uplifting activities that help on your plants, watering them, If you feel something is lacking them attain higher heights of nurturing them, and being in your home or need to add relaxation. conscious of how they grow. something to the décor that will Every day becomes even more make the space come alive, you Taking care of plants indoors, meaningful when you have need houseplants. This is why so nurturing them, and enjoying houseplants to care for. many people who start keeping the ambiance they provide houseplants just can’t seem to aids with mental and Many plant parents report that get enough of them. emotional well-being. caring for plants is similar to the feeling of taking care of a Boost Mental and A Sense of Accomplishment pet - being responsible for it Emotional Well-Being and giving it your time and Anytime someone takes attention to make it grow Many therapists agree that responsibility for something healthy and well. Page 10 Page 11 LEAFY 101 101 HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT Minimize Stress. Maximize moment. Being around plants plants with pollen and spores, Mindfulness. has a calming effect on which can aggravate your people, and this is why people allergies. Regardless of your If you always feel the pressure are encouraged to take short lifestyle, you can benefit from HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT of daily living (work, family, social walks, enjoy nature, and go houseplants. life, and other commitments), hiking. You can enjoy these you might want to add a plant same benefits in the comfort Whether you have roommates to your décor. of your home with houseplants! or spare rooms, or you share your space with kids or pets, You may find that the time Dust Allergy Relief there’s a plant out there that spent taking care of the plant can bring joy to your life. becomes your “alone time” when Research has shown that some Whether you work from home you can spend time with yourself rooms with plants are less or are barely home, there’s a and the natural world and let go prone to having mold and dust plant for you and a reason to of the stresses of the day. than rooms without plants. The have a plant. leaves and other plant parts Tending to plants is also a serve as natural filters that can Whether you’re after decor tremendously mindful exercise. catch allergens and airborne beauty or a little mental Simply taking the time to particles. wellness therapy, plants are appreciate this incredible, for you. growing, and living thing can Leafy plants are great for those take you away from your who suffer from allergies, but Next, let’s take a look at how stresses and into what matters - if you suffer from allergies, it exactly to find the best plant simply being present in the may be best to avoid flowers or for you. Page 12 Page 13 LEAFY HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT HOUSE PLANT 101 101 HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT When choosing your first houseplant, it can be tempting to choose based on looks alone. While aesthetics are a massive benefit of plants and certainly a consideration, there’s a bit more to making a good choice than looks alone. HOUSEPLANT CAREHOUSEPLANT Here are a few considerations that you should consider when choosing your first houseplant. Page 14 Page 15 LEAFY Humidity is an essential temperature swings, as these will have, there are a few other consideration for plants, and can be hard on some plants. smaller considerations to think locations like areas near Bear in mind that many about. radiators or heaters may be (although certainly not all) too dry for tropical plants to be varieties of houseplants hail Plant Size and Growth happy. from the tropics. They will naturally appreciate a warmer The plant will require adequate Fortunately, most common room temperature, but many space in your home. Don’t just houseplants can do well in the plants can do well in about 60- consider how big the plant is 30-60% humidity level 75 degrees F.