Houseplants are wonderful home decorating items – they come in many shapes and styles, and can be put in a wide variety of containers. Houseplants do not have to be a budget breaker! There are many savvy ways to save money decorating your home with houseplants – inexpensively.
Start small, Let it grow a smaller 2 or 3″ potted houseplant is often only a few dollars, while the larger 10″ pots can cost big bucks. It may take some time to see how your new purchase will do, but I have found that waiting for your cheaper, smaller houseplant to grow can be worth the investment. I once purchased a large Ivy plant, only to find out this particularly variety didn’t do well in my home. Having wasted all that money on this Ivy plant made it difficult for me to throw it out. Of course, the longer I waited, the worse it looked. This only left an ugly, unhealthy plant sitting in my home – which did not benefit my home decor.
By purchasing smaller, less expensive starter-size plants, I wasn’t making a commitment to a houseplant only to find that it may not grow well in my home.
Getting plants from friends One of the reasons that variety of Ivy didn’t do well in my home is that the whole region where I live doesn’t have the humidity to support these plants. Even houseplants have to have the right environment. Getting cuttings or divisions of plants that your friends and neighbors have grown successfully is not only cheap, but it also increases your chance for success with growing those houseplants.
Growing your kitchen scraps It seems like everyone knows about growing avocado seeds into houseplants, but there are many more planting opportunities in your fridge, fruit bowl or compost bin. The tops of carrots can be rooted when placed in soil. Potatoes and yam eyes can be planted in pots leading to lovely viney plants for your home. The top of a pineapple can be rooted – and become a great conversation piece. You can also experiment with growing many of the seeds you find in fruits. Many fruits sold at the stores today are hybrid varieties that do not have viable seeds, but experimenting to see which lemons or peach pits will sprout small trees can be both entertaining and beautiful.
Save money on containers One of the bigger expenses for houseplants is the container or pot they are grown in. With a little creativity, you can save a lot while still having a nice looking display for your home. Pots and vases are frequently available at thrift stores and recycle centers. Terracotta pots can be painted with acrylic craft paints to match your home décor.
You can also save and repurpose your more visually appealing trash items. Once, I had a whole collection of beautifully labeled ice tea bottles with a whole variety of plant cuttings growing out of each container. It didn’t take me long to get all of those tea bottles, even though I was selective and kept only the best . When I saw someone who was drinking bottled tea from a nice bottle, I just asked to have their bottle when they were done drinking the tea. People were happy to give me their bottles, knowing they would be reused.
You can look for interesting containers everywhere you go, whether it is in your own trash, items your friends are using or at businesses like restaurants. Don’t limit yourself to your own goods!
Other items can also be repurposed. To keep your plant display looking attractive, try to think of groups of attractive repurposed containers. I have seen displays with olive oil cans where the tops of the cans had been removed, and soil placed inside. Coffee cans or another potential themed container. The trick is to remember that in this case it is about the label and the container, not the product inside.
By remembering these simple tips, you can begin to think in new ways about finding affordable and beautiful plants for decorating your home or office.
