Many homeowners who have built a home with Hartz Homes enjoy indoor gardening and houseplants, especially during the cold months. Here are five helpful tips from our green-thumb homeowners. And, we hope that you will send us your tips that we can share as well.
Tip #1: Location, location, location. Location means everything to your indoor plants. Learn what kind of light requirements your plants want and give it to them. So, before you select a houseplant, read the tag. A homeowner in Whisper Creek (Mokena) discovered that African violets prefer bright but indirect light, so she placed them in a north-facing window. She also found that her Crotons stayed alive in shade, but their vibrant colors didn’t pop until she put them in the bright light of a south-facing window.
Tip #2: Match your decorating. Think about your decorating style when adding plants. A homeowner in Sky Harbor (New Lenox) uses cacti to accent her southwestern style decor. Another homeowner in Lago Vista (Lockport) has a tropical decorating scheme, so she opted for tropical plants. Try a tall, upright Sansevieria Trifasciata (often called snake plant) for impact in a contemporary setting. Cottage styles call for flowers such as African Violets, flowering maples (Abutilon Hybrids), or plants with colorful leaves, such as Rex Begonias.
Tip #3: Pick the right size. A 10-foot Kentia Palm looks stunning in the tall foyer of a Winchester model in Armitage Pointe (Addison). Maybe your space can handle that, but if not, consider a different plant, perhaps an Areca Palm that only has 3-foot fronds. Conversely, if you have a large space and add a single pot of philodendron, it won’t have the impact you desire. Do your research and determine how large a plant can get indoors before purchasing it.
Tip #4: Consider the amount of care. If you are like one of our homeowners in Bella Vista (Bolingbrook) and like to water every day, find a plant that likes to be moist most of the time, such as a Dwarf Papyrus. On the other hand, if you don’t want to invest a lot of time into your plants, invest in a cactus or air plant. In general, most houseplants like their soil thoroughly moistened and not watered again until the soil has gone almost dry. Stick your finger below the surface of the soil to check moisture levels, or buy a moisture-reading meter.
Tip #5: Create a living wall. Living walls are popping up more frequently in home design. They look great and bring a range of advantages into your home, including improved air quality and the buffering of acoustics. A home owner in Oliviabrook (Oak Brook Terrace) “borrowed” an idea for a living wall off the internet. He attached heavy-duty stainless steel hose clamps to a strip of lumber. Then he clamped three mason jars as shown in the photo below.
Photo Credit: www.etsy.com/listing/105570964
Please check out these new home communities from Hartz Homes:
Armitage Pointe of Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bella Vista Townhomes of Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Heather Glen of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Hibernia of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lago Vista of Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Leigh Creek of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Manchester Cove of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marquis Pointe of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marywood Meadows of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Nantucket Lakes of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oliviabrook of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Park West of Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Playa Vista of Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Sky Harbor of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Whisper Creek of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Hartz Homes has new home communities in:
Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Aurora, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
New Lenox (Chicago area new home construction)
Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oakbrook Terrace (Chicago area new home construction)