Common Myths about Flowers and Houseplants

Common Myths about Flowers and Houseplants

Lot of people think about buying flowers or houseplants for their homes but get put off because they get 'helpful' advice from friends or relatives warning them about how hard it is to care for them. But while there are things you need to think about, there are also a lot of myths out there that might be unfairly putting you off from having beautiful foliage in your home. So we wanted to set the record straight on a few of these and hopefully help inspire you to begin looking for that perfect flower or plant for your home, confident that it is not as hard as it looks to care for them.

Type of water - some flower care guides and even poorly trained florists might have you believe that different flowers and plants need different types of water. For example, you may have heard that some high maintenance blooms need filtered water to grow well. We fully understand why that would put you off buying a plant - who wants to pay extra for fancy water? Luckily, this is a complete myth, and the majority of flowers and plants for the home are happy with any old water you give them. No need to buy a water jog just for a plant - the same stuff you drink out the tap will do for them too.

Size of pot - if you have ever heard that some flowers need giant pots to survive and grow to their full potential, you are not alone. And while it is better for plants to have as much space as possible, most don’t need that much room at all. Especially the typical flowers and plants you’d have in a home. You don’t need to buy a pot the size of your living room. Just check out the online growing guides for the ideal size, or talk to a well-trained florist for advice. In most cases, any old size will do.

Amount of sun - all flowers and plants need sun. We have all heard this one. And while it is true to a degree, don’t let this myth put you off growing something at home if you live in a shadier spot. There are plenty of flowers out there that actually thrive on less sunlight, and exposing them to too much can actually have a detrimental effect. Again, we advise talking to your local flower shop to find out what plants and flowers might suit your particular conditions. There really is a flower for every home if you know what you are looking for.

Wilting leaves - wilting leaves means a plant is dying right? Or that it at least needs more water? Not so. Some flowers and plants naturally wilt as part of their lifecycle, and stripping leaves or adding more water won’t help - in fact it will probably do more damage than good. Our advice whenever you invite flowers into your home is to research that particular species and find out what it needs and how it grows. This applies whether they are flowers sent to you by a friend or a plant you picked up at a garden centre.

Stones help drainage - if you have ever seen a plant pot with stones scattered around the base you might have thought it was just decoration. In some cases, that is the case, but some people mistakenly believe that having stones at the bottom of the pot will aid in drainage of water. This is not so. Stones do little else than look nice. Don’t worry about drainage, your plant knows what it needs, so follow the care instructions, and you can’t go far wrong, it will suck up that water when it is good and ready. And if you want to add stones for decoration, go right ahead.