If your space is in dire need of some flora, here are some tips on this topic to start you out.  It’s amazing what life and character a little green plant can add.

Bamboo

This is the perfect plant for those individuals who were not gifted with the gene of the green thumb. I received a bamboo plant from my father on Valentine’s Day three years ago and it is still thriving.  Many of them symbolize certain things, depending on the number such as luck or health, which is also an added element of charm to this plant.

A plant was left in our apartment by previous tenants that my mother called a philodendron. It has endured the hot summer heat and our not so cozy temperatured apartment in the winter.  It has also been neglected from time to time when we’ve forgotten to water it.  My mom also advised me to take clippings from the plant and put them in soil or water, as it will grow into a whole new plant.

Don’t rule out the grocery store

I have had a lot of luck at my local Food Basics when it comes to plants.  I often find really cute colourful plants for a low price and it’s so pleasing to take them home and plop them on our kitchen table.  I also picked up something called cat grass, which I was sure my cat would love but of course he turned his nose up at it. As any cat owner knows, cats will never behave as you want them to.

Grow your own herbs and spices

A really neat and also cost effective idea is to purchase some herb seeds from the grocery store or the gardening section of your nearest department store.  If you plant them in a little flower pots it will make a both a darling and useful decoration for your space.  Commonly used herbs in the kitchen include basil, rosemary and thyme.  You will see your seeds sprout into living herbs for your cooking needs in no time and it will save you a trip to the grocery store next time you need some herbs for that pasta you’re cooking.

For more green-thumbed advice I went to the woman with the most plant knowledge out of anyone I know—my mother.

When we first moved into our apartment she gave us a little plant that she called a Schefflera Actinophylla, or Umbrella Plant.  It was a piece off a bigger version of a plant she had at home.  It’s been five months since we moved in now and the plant is thriving.  They need lots of sun and I have read that you should let the soil dry out before watering it again.  Fertilizer once a month is key as well.

Tips on care

Her words of wisdom about caring for plants are “lots of patience” and “lots of tender loving care.”