Housepets Finding the best greenery for apartments, dorm rooms and those with a not-so-green thumb
pets in a pot
by Dianne Smith dsmith@kansan.com
When Brian Rock married his wife, Kristie, he knew that her houseplants were part of the deal." I knew she had plants," he says, "so I knew it was a package."
Today, the couple's Lawrence home houses about 25 houseplants, many of which came with his wife when they married almost 22 years ago. A cactus that was then about 20 inches tall now reaches the ceiling.
Rock, a KU engineering professor; usually leaves the houseplants to his wife while he takes care of the yard. But one day about three years ago, he decided to save a spider plant that she had left for dead. He rescued it from the garage and brought it to his office in Learned Hall. He went through a period of trial and error trying to figure out what kind of light and how much water the plant needed, but the plant is now thriving.
Health and happiness
Students get plants for a variety of reasons, says Judy Broers, a tropical plant expert at Sunrise Garden Center. 1501 Learnard Ave. Whether they are used to having plants at their parents' home or they just want something that's alive, Broers says she has quite a few students who come in to buy plants, especially at the beginning of the school year.
The health benefits are another reason students buy houseplants. Plants such as the spider plant, English ivy, peace lily and dracaena purify the air by giving off oxygen and taking in contaminants such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide.
For students with asthma, having a plant can make the air in your apartment more friendly, especially if you're in a dorm where the windows don't open. When Rock wanted to give away the babies from his spider plant, he brought up environmentalism to the potential owners." I was able to adopt out more by saying this was their way to combat global
warming." Rock says.
In addition to cleaning the air, houseplants also help humidify the air, simply because the water that you give your plant then evaporates into the air. Humans and plants both like about 50 percent humidity in their living areas. When the air gets really dry in the winter, it would benefit both you and your plant to use an electric humidifier. If you notice the edges of your plant's leaves turning brown, it may need more humidity.
Some of the benefits of houseplants are not as tangible as cleaner, healthier air, but they are still noteworthy. Houseplants increase the livability of your apartment, making college living feel more like home. "They take the industrial edge off and make the space actually feel like home," says Marie lannotti, master gardener and gardening guide for About.com. "It's kind of like putting art on the wall, except you have to take care of it." lannotti adds that taking care of a living thing can be a beneficial responsibility for students who have never lived on their own before.
Ross Farris,Tulsa, Okla., senior and a student in Rock's engineering class, adopted one of Rock's baby spider plants in class about a month ago. He brought it home in a plastic water bottle he had with him, then put it in a pot about three days later. Since then, he says, it's gotten a lot greener and has grown almost an inch. He says he likes watching his plant grow and taking care of it." kind of think that it just adds something to the house that wouldn't be there otherwise, a little bit of character, maybe," he says.
Picking a plant One reason for Rock's success was his choice of
10 04.03.2008
VOL.5 ISS.26
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