Indoor plants bring in freshness and cleanse the air of toxins.

Potted plants always provide the much-needed relief of freshness in the air, particularly in the stagnant indoor environs of homes and offices. Such spaces are prone to allowing pollutants to settle in large amounts and for a longer period of time than we can imagine. Impurities pollute the air we breathe and cause health hazards. Houseplants can come in handy to keep the air clean, especially during the summer season.

Here are a few that are easy to maintain and can add charm to your living and working space:

Peace lily

Easy to grow, peace lily plants remain fragrant and flowery almost all through the summer season and have the ability to shoo away impurities in the air. Avoid watering them too often, though. Place the pot at a shady corner inside the house.

Boston fern

Keep them moist and away from direct sunlight, and in return these ferns will assure there are no pollutants in the air that you breathe in. This plant is said to significantly improve air quality in homes and offices.

Gerbera daisy

Little did we know that these lovely flowers keep a check on air pollutants, apart from gracing our living rooms. This houseplant needs bright light, while the soil should be well drained. Gerbera daisies often bloom from the middle of spring until autumn.

Spider plant

A staple of every garden, the spider plant usually grows from a rosette at the centre, producing new shoots, branched stolons and even tiny white flowers. Said to be excellent air cleaners, this plant is non-fussy and can thrive under any condition.

English ivy

This freewheeling vine can create a green landscape on the windows and doors of your house, while it even grows well in pots. Popular for its lush foliage, this plant thrives even in little sunlight and constantly purifies air.

Dracaena

Well known for its air filtering quality, the Dracaena plant is available in more than 40 different varieties. Easy to grow, these plants do not require too much care, but avoid direct sunlight. Dracaena, however, is said to be harmful for dogs and cats, so pet owners better opt out of it.

Bamboo palm

This plant prefers a lot of sunlight, and can grow very tall (sometimes, as tall as 12 feet), making them an un miss able part of home decor. A champ in clearing up impurities in air, Bamboo Palm is favoured by almost every household.

Keep your houseplants healthy

Maintaining a house plant is easy and it also adds beauty to the interior of the house.

Warmth: Since most houseplants are tropical, temperatures are important. Most of our homes are warm enough for them. So keeping the right balance of moisture and warmth is very necessary.

Light: Yes indoor plants also need light. Placing you plant where it can get enough light is necessary. On the window sill, near a glass door or windows are great places.

Water: Different plants have different watering requirements. Finding the right balance of moist versus dry is the challenge of keeping happy and healthy house plants. Before buying a house plant you can ask the gardener to explain every detail of the plant and its habitat to you.

Clean leaves: The leaves of indoor plants must be cleaned regularly with a wet cloth or a water spray. A clean leaf means open pores. The health of the plant will increase. Apart from that the plant will look fresh and beautiful too.

Indoor pests: Spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs and scale can cover a plant in days as they multiply quickly. So you have to be very attentive about checking for symptoms such as these pests.