upping my indoor plant game
There are multiple health benefits to indoor house plants. Unfortunately, my two adorable kittens (pictured below), have greatly disrupted my house plant abilities.
Thankfully, I was scrolling Facebook on this past Earth Day, and saw a great video with some tips on how to keep my house plants alive, one of them being a CAT REPELLENT.
I thought to myself, I have to try this!
Watch this great video below (brought to us by Tasty Vegetarian) to see all of their helpful tips. (The video will only play on your web browser, not your email)
The many health benefits of indoor house plants can be found searching the web. I tend to go to a Website I trust, Dr. Mercola, when looking for quick advice on natural health.
Here is what he has to say on Indoor Houseplants: “Houseplants are very functional decorations for your home and office that brighten your space, improve your mood and clean your air. Several studies have found potted plants improve your work and living space by reducing your blood pressure, improving your attention and productivity, lowering your anxiety levels and raising your job satisfaction.
Plants may also be used for phytoremediation, or the mitigation of pollution in air, soil and water. Scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), University of Georgia and Pennsylvania State University have demonstrated that potted plants in your home can improve your air quality.
Plants remove pollutants by absorbing them through their leaves and roots, in much the same way they clean the outdoor air from the pollution given off by manufacturing plants, cars and heating systems.”
These are just a few of the benefits of house/indoor plants. Read more about the benefits on the Mercola Website here.
Like I said, I’ve tried to have house plants for years—I love them—but they always end up dying off on me.
One of the main reasons I can’t seem to keep them alive is my cats. These two kittens in particular have made my house plant hobby a nightmare. Yes they are adorable!—but they are constantly digging in my pots of dirt and eating the leaves of my plants.
My daughter, Malori, and I went on a mission, to create beautiful houseplants, AND keep the kittens away from them.
We started by buying affordable houseplants at Home Depot. I got most of these for only $3.95. Great deal!
I made sure I had pots the right size, with holes in the bottom, and trays (as the video above suggests).
Malori and I spent the afternoon potting our plants, carefully watering them, and then poking holes in the soil to aerate (again, on the video).
Now to make the cat repellent! I bought lemons, limes, and oranges and used a pairing knife to skin the fruit, leaving behind the peels. We boiled the water and peels and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. Then we poured the liquid through a strainer into a rinsed spray bottle. It created a yellow citrus liquid – pretty cool!
Once the liquid was cooled off, we sprayed it all around the plants. I sprayed it on the leaves and even misted the area around the plants. It smelled great!
I put our plants in our front dining area because it gets the most sunlight during the day. The plants I bought call for “full sun” and I’m confident in this area of my house they will get all they need.
So far (it’s been about a week), my plants are doing great! The cats are staying away from them. Every time they get close, we spray some more of our cat repellent and they leave the plants alone.
I’m excited to welcome indoor plants back into our home so they can do their magic and clean our air.
Do you have indoor plants? Have you had any luck with them?
I want to buy one of these pretty hanging macrame plant hangers, but I am worried on how to water the plant effectively. Do any of you have one? Have you had luck with them?
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