I like to consider myself a somewhat experienced gardener. I started growing vegetables just over ten years ago, and soon after, my backyard was completely filled with flowers. However, there is one gardening skill that I just haven’t been able to master – growing houseplants.
Despite my best efforts, it seemed that something nearly always went wrong and had caused the plant to wither away. Only in the last few years was I FINALLY able to better understand the needs of my indoor plants and have my first success in growing them. Easy-to-grow plants, like the peace lily, were the key to my success and peace of mind.
Growing Peace Lilies
Peace lily houseplants are an exceptionally popular tropical plant. Prized for their glossy green foliage and white flowers, these plants are commonly given as a symbol of remembrance after the passing of a loved one. It is for this reason that I was given the plant, and I was determined to keep the plant for a long time to come, though I knew little regarding peace lily care at the time. Fortunately, I would soon come to learn that these evergreen houseplants are among the easiest to care for.
Also known as the closet plant, peace lilies are able to tolerate medium to low levels of light. In my house, the windows are all very small and natural light is scarce, regardless of the growing season. In the past, this had led to the downfall of many of my indoor plantings. I was so pleased to learn that even I was able to find a location that allowed the plant to thrive and produce flowers with each passing season.
While the soil should ideally remain moist between watering, peace lilies are known to be quite tolerant of underwatering – a habit, which I admit, is a very bad tendency of mine when it comes to houseplants. Occasionally, my peace lily plants do need to be divided and repotted into large containers. This helps ensure that the plant does not become cramped its container. Newly potted plants can be given to friends and family as gifts, or simply added to your own indoor plant collection.
The discovery of houseplants able to tolerate neglect and mistreatment has given me a new appreciation for their value in my home. Not only do they help purify the air, but their growth can boost mood and add vibrance to dark indoor spaces. By choosing plants that grow well within the limited conditions offered in my home, I am eager to add more houseplants to my small collection.