Whether you live in the bitter cold of the Northeast or the extreme desert heat, outdoor gardening can be a logistical nightmare. But pulling some of the outdoors into your home with houseplants can reap numerous health benefits and add to your home décor. Plus, the controlled indoor environment is beneficial to a host of plants.

Not all plants work well indoors though. The trick is to find the size, location, and aesthetics that work for your home, and in a good location.

• Aloe is a succulent plant with pointed leaves. It grows to about three feet high outdoors in desert climates. Because of this, the plant doesn’t need to be watered often. It needs a lot of sunlight, so place it by a window.

 

• The spider plant was wildly popular in the ’70s and ’80s, but then dropped off the map. They provide an interesting visual with their long leaves and bulbous off-shoots. They need medium lighting in a cool room to do well.

 

 

• Rubber trees do well both indoors and out and can grow into an eight-foot visual centerpiece for any brightly-lit room. It can easily be trained to be a shrub with proper trimming.

 

 

• If a flowering plant is more your style, the peace lily might be the right choice. It’s easy to take care of and is perfect for that room that doesn’t get a lot of sun.

 

• The heart-leaf philodendron is a great trailing plant, perfect for a variety of lighting and any room temperature. You can grow it on an indoor trellis or allow it to trail around doorways or along bookshelves.

 

 

There are many other options available for indoor plants. Do your research online and ask at your local nursery before settling on the plants for your indoor space. But be creative too. Indoor plants are the perfect budget-conscious way to brighten up any room of your house.