Does the term polar vortex drive you to eating rolls of cookie dough? Are you staring longingly out the window trying to remember where your garden was? Take heart! Spring is right around the corner. But for those of us who can’t wait, here are some cabin-fever busters.
Leaf Up Your Surroundings
Here’s a prescription for the winter blues: Add a trio of green, leafy houseplants to your home (living room, bedroom, and kitchen—or the three rooms you spend the most time in). Chose tropical beauties such as low-care ZZ Plant, colorful Red Aglaonema, or perky Pothos. These plants will green up your indoor décor, and help you breathe easier by adding oxygen to your surroundings.
Take a Vicarious Vacation
Juice up your surroundings with the citrus colors of tropical bromeliads. These gorgeous flowering plants stay in bloom for months and add fruity colors to every room. Their orange, red, and yellow flowers infuse color and life into neutral interiors and winter-weary souls. Read more about traveling vicariously through tropical plants.
Give Yourself Flowers
Studies have shown that flowers make you happier. Period. So why wait to put a smile on your face? Dash out now and buy a long-flowering moth orchid (seriously, they bloom for months!) Orchids are stylish, exotic, and so easy care. Once you have them in your home, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. Learn more about growing orchids.
Shed Some Light
Mother Nature turns down the lights in winter, but that doesn’t mean you have to go without sunny rays. Brighten your home with grow lights. Bathe sun-loving plants (such as cacti) in nurturing rays. You can even start seeds for your garden. Full-spectrum lights also enhance your mood, especially those who have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to an article in Psychology Today, seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect 10 million Americans. Don’t be one of them!
Savor a Soak
Draw a warm bath to amp up your mood. Create the perfect spa ambiance in your bathroom by surrounding your tub with white orchids. Toss in some lavender bath salts and light a few candles. Then lower the lights, put on your favorite tunes, and slip into soothing waters.
Go Mini
From mini bagels to mini cakes (cupcakes!) to mini cars (Mini Coopers!), the miniature craze embraces everything diminutive. Mother Nature actually started the trend, with mini plants such as Pygmy date palms or tiny cacti and succulents. Get in on the big trend of little things, with a miniature houseplant that will cheer you up every time you look at it.
Plant A Desert Dish
You don’t have to live in a hot and arid landscape to enjoy the prickly charms of desert plants. Plant a warming desert landscape in a low bowl or large terra-cotta saucer. Use cacti soil mix for maximum drainage. Add colorful stones and gravel paths.
Make an (Indoor) Mixed Container
Fill a large container with a combination of indoor plants. Try this fantastic foliar combination; each plant offers a ray of yellow variegation:
Leaf Up Your Surroundings
Here’s a prescription for the winter blues: Add a trio of green, leafy houseplants to your home (living room, bedroom, and kitchen—or the three rooms you spend the most time in). Chose tropical beauties such as low-care ZZ Plant, colorful Red Aglaonema, or perky Pothos. These plants will green up your indoor décor, and help you breathe easier by adding oxygen to your surroundings.
Take a Vicarious Vacation
Juice up your surroundings with the citrus colors of tropical bromeliads. These gorgeous flowering plants stay in bloom for months and add fruity colors to every room. Their orange, red, and yellow flowers infuse color and life into neutral interiors and winter-weary souls. Read more about traveling vicariously through tropical plants.
Give Yourself Flowers
Studies have shown that flowers make you happier. Period. So why wait to put a smile on your face? Dash out now and buy a long-flowering moth orchid (seriously, they bloom for months!) Orchids are stylish, exotic, and so easy care. Once you have them in your home, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. Learn more about growing orchids.
Shed Some Light
Mother Nature turns down the lights in winter, but that doesn’t mean you have to go without sunny rays. Brighten your home with grow lights. Bathe sun-loving plants (such as cacti) in nurturing rays. You can even start seeds for your garden. Full-spectrum lights also enhance your mood, especially those who have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to an article in Psychology Today, seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect 10 million Americans. Don’t be one of them!
Savor a Soak
Draw a warm bath to amp up your mood. Create the perfect spa ambiance in your bathroom by surrounding your tub with white orchids. Toss in some lavender bath salts and light a few candles. Then lower the lights, put on your favorite tunes, and slip into soothing waters.
Go Mini
From mini bagels to mini cakes (cupcakes!) to mini cars (Mini Coopers!), the miniature craze embraces everything diminutive. Mother Nature actually started the trend, with mini plants such as Pygmy date palms or tiny cacti and succulents. Get in on the big trend of little things, with a miniature houseplant that will cheer you up every time you look at it.
Plant A Desert Dish
You don’t have to live in a hot and arid landscape to enjoy the prickly charms of desert plants. Plant a warming desert landscape in a low bowl or large terra-cotta saucer. Use cacti soil mix for maximum drainage. Add colorful stones and gravel paths.
Make an (Indoor) Mixed Container
Fill a large container with a combination of indoor plants. Try this fantastic foliar combination; each plant offers a ray of yellow variegation:
Written by Karen Weir-Jimerson
