Hi lovelies,

With the festive period over, it’s time to retire that Christmas tree. But the feeling of losing such a central piece of greenery in your home will undoubtedly leave plant lovers wondering where to look for their next leafy living companion. Here are a few great ideas for house plants to keep your house looking green.

• Snake plant. Don’t worry, even though the name sounds a little sinister, snake plants, in fact, don’t look anything like snakes. This plant is actually called by a whole host of other names, such as “Saint George’s Sword,” “Viper’s bowstring hemp,” and “Mother-in-law’s tongue.” Like a lot of cacti, a major advantage of this plant is how tough it is, and it can take a lot of neglect, which makes it great if you’ve got a busy schedule or you’re prone to forgetting to water your plants. Just beware, this plant will rot if you water it too much, and it is mildly toxic to cats and dogs and could give them gastrointestinal upset if they are prone to nibbling at your house plants. However, what has the potential to really make this plant a superstar is that it releases oxygen at night, making the air in your house fresher and helping you get a better night’s sleep.

• Bonsai tree. The main advantage here is the aesthetic pleasure looking at a bonsai tree will give you. The main drawback is that growing one of these requires a lot of time and effort. Bonsai comes from Japan, dating back over a thousand years, and basically means the art of growing small trees in containers that look like miniature versions of large trees rather than common house plants. Most bonsai containers are quite shallow, and there are many techniques used to grow bonsai trees. This will require a large amount of dedication, and you will probably need to do a bit more research if you are interested in growing one of these plants. But the beauty of growing a bonsai tree is worth it if you put the effort in.

• Peace lily. These plants enjoy shady spots in your house, so you can put them to work brightening up any gloomy corners. They have year-round flowers, making them enjoyable to look at at any time of year. Even though the peace lily is called a “lily,” it actually isn’t. Don’t worry, in a way that’s a good thing. True lilies are highly toxic to pets, whereas a peace lily will only cause a mild upset if ingested. Peace lilies were also discovered to naturally clean certain contaminating gasses in the air by the NASA Clean Air Study. It is only a very small amount, but it will make the air in your house a little fresher to breathe. It also doesn’t require much watering, so it won’t take up much of your time. The soil needs to be left damp and should only be watered again when it has dried out. Once a week should be enough.