Tuesday, February 24, 2009

One Strategy for Beating the Winter Blues

Do you ever get the winter blues? The bleakness of winter sometimes brings down my spirits. When it is so blustery outside, I don't get out for that much needed outdoor air and sunshine. And, even when it's warm enough, I miss seeing green.

I've found something simple that works for me. Having indoor plants throughout the house brings the green inside. They add cheer to my winter days. Not only is "seeing green" good for my winter blues, houseplants filter our indoor air. They help keep our homes healthy.

These are two of my favorite plants. The first is a ficus tree I bought as a wee twig. As you can see, even though this is SO NOT a professional photo, it is flourishing nicely in my entryway.

The second is a philodendron that my husband brought to me as a cutting from a friend's plant. After keeping the cutting in a glass with water for a few weeks, I put it in this little pot. Now the leaves meander along the backsplash of my kitchen, where I can always use a bit of cheer.

Keeping houseplants really isn't difficult, even if you think you have a black thumb. Just choose the easiest ones to care for. You might want to start with a palm or a peace lily. I have both of these too. Aside from watering and the occasional repotting, they are very low maintenance.

I know it's almost spring and we will all be enjoying vast expanses of green outside. But, if you are affected by winter blues, you may want to go ahead and start putting some green inside your home... you know, storing up for next winter ;)

Read more Works For Me Wednesday tips at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/.

6 comments:

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

I have 1 plant in the house and haven't killed it of yet. Thankfully, it has withstood me not watering it every week like I should. LOL! :D Next on to a garden. :D

Kaycee said...

I love indoor plants too. I started taking a multi-vitamin this winter and I think it has helped with the winter blues and given me more energy. I also get outdoors as much as possible.

Audra Krell said...

What a really great idea. Thanks for posting the pictures, you take great care of your plants. I think I have a certified black thumb. I should post pics of my few plants, just for laughs.
Thank you so much for your endorsement of For Women Only, I want others to benefit and for marriages to be strengthened.

noelle said...

I love having plants around too. And Philedendrons are so great for being able to cut some and get a new plant. I have them all over the house from one little slip I got 4 years ago.

thanks for stopping by my blog. I look forward to reading more about you and your family and how you incorporate health into your daily lives.

Anonymous said...

Oy, plants: if it weren't for dh, my plants would all be dead. We like to grow indoor citrus plants because it's nice to get fruits as well as having the air cleaned! :) Our Meyer lemon has done extremely well, as has the lime, but the orange tree needs a good talking-to. LOL!

Amy Ellen said...

Indoor Fruit Trees are such a great idea... we'll have to look into this one. Thanks for the tip, Teresa!