Are you looking to design an urban jungle for your home? Sustainable home landscaping is the talk of the town. It allows you to convert your space into a healthier and happier dwelling. Through this series, I will reveal some of the latest green design ideas and tips to help you design the most fabulous urban jungle for your home.
The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly become the most pressing public health emergency across the globe. While unprecedented, this new normal has pushed us into reflecting on several issues, viz. our mental health, our relationships, our priorities, and of course our physical health as well. One such reflective soiree prompted me to think about the choices we make on how we beautify our homes.
A home! What a blessing it is to have one. While some of us can rely on outside agencies to beautify our houses, there is no denying that it is only ‘love’ that makes a house a home.
In close to 15 years of my experience with landscaping, I have met numerous people who are passionate about setting up their homes. Everything from the perfect piece of art on their centre table, to the selection of the perfect painting, is tastefully done. Few, however, are keenly interested in actually learning what plants we can put indoors and the benefits we can gain by simply placing a few plants in and around the house. I begin this fortnightly series by informing our readers about the types of indoor plants and the benefits we gain from each of these green beauties.
To kick off this series, I decided to go with a beginner’s plant, the “Snake Plant”.
Commonly called “Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) because of the shape and sharp margins of its leaves, this plant is easily found in India, this plant has made a great comeback into our homes ever since NASA’s declaration that the Snake Plant is one of the best plants to purify air even in closed space stations.
Pleasing to the eye, this plant comes in a few varieties and has several health benefits:
- The Snake Plant is one of the few indoor plants that can convert carbon dioxide to oxygen even at night! This makes it a perfect bedroom plant.
- It is one of the most oxygen-producing houseplants and is effective against allergies.
- Research shows us that the Snake Plant absorbs cancer-causing air pollutants like carbon monoxide, xylene, formaldehyde, and benzene.
- A study conducted at Naresuan University showed that Carbon dioxide in office spaces, reduced with the presence of 5 Snake Plants in the office at different locations.
- The NASA study shows us that the Snake Plant removed 52.6% of benzene in a sealed chamber. Benzene is an air pollutant that is commonly found in the indoor setup, through solvents, paints, heaters, and air conditioners and causes headaches and nausea.
- The NASA study also sheds light on the role of the Snake Plant in removing 31,294 micrograms of formaldehyde in 24 hours. Formaldehyde emission has a few sources like cosmetics, cooking, paints, fuel, and traffic combustion and causes respiratory issues and rare nose and throat cancers.
Easy to grow and maintain, this plant practically requires minimal care, very little water, and indirect sunlight to flourish.
Tips to grow and maintain –
- Best grown in indirect but steady sunlight
- Soil – Well-draining soil
- Water – Minimal, only water when the soil is dehydrated and cracked. Too much water can kill the plant.
- Temperature required – warm
- Very low maintenance, practically require no care at all
Word of caution – Ingesting this plant is toxic for human beings and animals, keep away from little children and pets who would possibly nibble.
Do invest in your health and improve the air quality at home and buy the Snake Plant!
Send us pictures of your new green babies!
Contributor: The Series on Indoor Plants is written by Mr. Zeeshan A. Retiwalla, who is a Landscape Designer with over 15 years of experience and runs a successful landscaping company in Mumbai which has presence pan India. Feel free to check their work on www.pldindia.com.
