Easy Plants for New Plant Parents

This guide will introduce you to some of the best house plants you can find, which are also available at Scotts Garden Centre greenhouse locations. Whether you've never owned a plant in your life or often end up with a pot of dead leaves, this post will allow you to gain the confidence and little skill required to maintaining your houseplants. Opening endless opportunity for your space to flourish, feel fresh and vibrant!

Pothos, Prayer Plant, Snake Plant and Air Plant

In the midst of life's chaos, houseplants can unintentionally contribute to overwhelm when their needs are misunderstood. However, with proper care, these green companions offer many benefits—purifying the air and infusing your home or office with a soothing and vibrant ambiance. In the following paragraphs, discover low-maintenance plants and essential care principles to kickstart your journey toward a thriving indoor oasis. All of these plants and more are available for purchase in store, come on in and ask our knowledgable staff any questions you may have before beginning your plant parent journey! More Houseplants Here.

Next up, we've got the ZZ Plant similar to the Snake Plant the ZZ can thrive in various light conditons from low to brignt indirect light this  upright grower has shiny gem like leaves which unfurl beautifully. The ZZ is also incredibly drought tolerant - allow its soil to dry completely between waterings. This stunning plant.is also a great air purifier!

• Note ZZ Plants are toxic when ingested, please be mindful if you have pets or children in your home.

Our next beginner friendly plant is the beautiful and versatile Pothos, these plants can be used to trail or trained to climb up and create a wonderful display of heart-like foliage that comes in various different shades of green and golden yellows. They require low to medium light and can handle higher light sometimes so long as the leaves are not vunerable to being burned by the sun. The Pothos is forgiving of neglect and can dry out a bit between waterings, the leaves typically drooping is an easy sign of need for water.

• Note Pothos are toxic when ingested, please be mindful if you have pets or children in your home.

The next plant on our list has remarkable foliage with different shades of green with pink or white veining, the Prayer Plant / Maranta getting its common name for its unique reactivity to the sun causing it to fold up like hands in prayer at night.  Prayer Plants prefer consistently moist soil requiring moderate watering - only letting the first inch of soil dry between waterings. Prayer Plants thrive in a bright indirect light, but its foliage can burn easily if light is too bright.

• Prayer Plants are Non-Toxic and are a safe edition to your home if you have pets and/or children.
• Prayer Plants thrive with humidity - to provide the right conditions for your plant keeping a drainage tray of pebbles and a bit of water beneath its pot can help keep its humidity consistent to its requirements.

Another fun and easy beginner plant is the Spider Plant this funky plant is best enjoyed in a hanging basket or placed up high so you can enjoy the cascading growth of baby "spiders" - growing enough to propogate and share! Spider Plants thrive in bright indirect light and you should allow the first inch of soil to dry completely between waterings.

• Spider Plants are Non-Toxic and a safe addition to any home with pets and/or children.

The final plant on our list is one of the most unique, Air Plants are a special type of plant that require very little fuss, and in fact no soil at all! Air Plants absorb what nutrients they need from the air and only require watering every 1-2 weeks by leaving them to soak in room temperature water for about 20-30 minutes - being sure to dry off the moisture before putting it back to your desired spot! These effortless plants have so much versatility for how you display them; perfect for terrariums, floating orbs or other creative ideas.

• Air Plants are Non-Toxic and a safe addition to any home with pets and/or children.

Useful Tips:

• Quality Soil - At Scott's we offer a variety of potting mediums suitable for different plants. It's important to have high-quality draining soil in order to keep your plant healthy from over-watering and root-rot. We also carry a variety of different size, colours and style of pots perfect to compliment your new plant.
• Difficulty with knowing how much to water? Less is better than more! Its always easy to top up some more water for your plants if their leaves are starting to droop - but overwatering is a difficult issue to overcome and can cause great stress to a plant. Always err on the side of less... Moisture metres are also available in our stores to help you determine when your houseplants need a watering without any of the guesswork.
• Humidity not quite right? If your plants thrive in humidity besides having a humidifier in your space you can easily set a drainage tray of small wet pebbles underneath your plant to create an ideal humid environment!
• Winter care, reference our blog post from last month on winterizing your house plants for more knowledge. Watering less frequently during the winter is standard practice and you should avoid having your plants in direct draft of air vents. (Blog Here)

In the delightful world of beginner houseplants, we've explored an array of green companions, from the robust Snake Plant, the versatile Pothos, and the resilient ZZ Plant. As you embark on this journey, keep in mind that these low-maintenance wonders offer a myriad of benefits. So, dive into the joy of nurturing your leafy companions and let your indoor oasis flourish with the calming presence of nature. Happy planting!