Hardy Indoor Plants that Won't Die on You

Indoor plants add a natural, pop of green to any room, cleaning the air and adding color and texture to your decor and vignettes. However, many of us haven’t been blessed with a green thumb, and tend to toss out more houseplants than we successfully nurture. There are many ways to kill a houseplant from overwatering to forgetfulness, but if you select a hardy indoor plant your odds of success are higher.

Keep reading for 6 hardy indoor plants even you will succeed in keeping alive.

Try These Hardy Indoor Houseplants!

Spider Plants

Available in green or variegated varieties the spider plant is easy to care for and hardy in a variety of conditions. This plant gets its name from the spiderettes or baby spider plants that dangle off the mother plant like small white spiders before rooting into the soil below. The great thing about this variety is that it reproduces quickly, so you can add to your collection or give baby plants as gifts.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Fiddle leaf figs are extremely trendy at the moment, producing large, green leaves in a tapered fiddle-like shape. This variety is considered a hardy indoor plant but can suffer from incorrect watering or too much light. Make sure you know how to correctly care for your fiddle leaf fig, a little knowledge goes a long way. if you worry you’re going to forget to water it, set an alert on your phone to cover your bases.

Jade Plant

The jade plant has the look of a succulent but provides height, texture and a richness most succulents cannot. Jade plants are slow to grow but are hardy indoor plants and easy to care for. The easiest way to kill your jade plant is by overwatering or not providing enough light for it to thrive.

English Ivy

Well known for gracing the exterior of country cottages, English ivy provides a beautiful pop of green to any room as it spills over the sides of the pot. Be sure that your english ivy gets enough direct sunlight only water the plant when the top of the soil is dry.

Aloe

The aloe plant is visually interesting and easy to care for, and now that summer is here having fresh aloe on hand is always a good idea. Aloe does best in lots of sunlight and should not be overwatered as it is a member of the succulent family.

Rubber Tree

If you’re looking for a plant that will fill a boring corner and make a statement, look no further than the rubber tree. When well cared-for this plant can get up to 8 feet tall with shiny, vibrant green leaves. If you don’t want your plant to reach such heights, simply prune down new growth at the top to maintain your desired size. The rubber tree likes medium to bright sunlight and will suffer from overwatering – so only water when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch.

When it comes to hardy outdoor plants, evergreens, holly, and olive trees are good old standards. If you start to have problems with your plants dying, there are tips to keeping them healthy and thriving. Plants that are hairy or have thick dermal tissue are also naturally hardy.

What are your favorite, hardy plants? What have you had success with growing in your home or apartment? Share your houseplant tips and favorite varieties with us in the comments section below.

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Memory Games & Tips for Brain Health

We all know what it’s like to lose our train of thought, forget someone’s name, or struggle to remember a password. Memory is a tricky thing; we all have insignificant things we can’t forget and important items we can’t seem to recall. As we age, memory function becomes even more important as we worry about the onset of conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

June is Brain Awareness Month, and to help you retain and improve your memory function, we’ve compiled some smart tips and fun memory games to celebrate. Keep reading to learn more.

Tips to Strengthen Your Memory

There are many factors that affect memory and mental clarity, and even more ways to help yourself stay sharp. For one, staying physically active is directly connected with cognitive function, so go for a walk or join a friend for some time at the gym.

Speaking of friends, staying social is another important part of keeping your memory clear. Social interaction keeps depression and stress at bay, two factors that increase your risk of memory loss.

Additionally, keeping a clean and organized home will help your memory as well, research shows that a cluttered home contributes to confusion and forgetfulness. 

3 Memory Games

Use these fun and easy ways to keep your memory clear and your mental recall quick.

Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles

These puzzles are easy to come by, available in the newspaper and on your phone. By playing word and number memory games like crossword puzzles and sudoku, you help keep your memory strong. Studies show a strong correlation between doing these puzzles and delaying the onset of dementia.

The Tray Game

Enlist a friend to put an assortment of random items on a tray for you, without telling you what they are. Allow yourself a quick look at the tray for 15 seconds or so. Cover it back up and try to write down as many items on the tray as you can. When you’ve exhausted your memory, uncover the tray and see how many you got right. What details were you able to include? How many items did you get right in this fun memory game?

Lumosity

This website offers cognitive training exercises and memory games developed by top researchers. The site has both free and paid options, allowing you to customize your experience to hone the skills you’re most interested in developing.

Supplements to Support Memory

Want more ways to support memory? Try these quality supplements formulated to help older adults stay sharp.

Brain Health Memory & Focus for Adults 40+ from Garden of Life

Formulated by top doctors, Brain Health Memory & Focus for Adults 40+ from Garden of Life is a certified organic supplement that promotes memory and mental clarity. Each dose contains clinically studied organic grape extract, organic wild blueberry extract, and organic whole coffee fruit, plus essential nutrients and healthy fats.

Brain Memory from Douglas Laboratories

Brain Memory from Douglas Laboratories is designed to help with brain health memory recall. This supplement contains the choline, huperzine A, and Acetyl-L-Carnitine needed to support healthy membrane and neurotransmitter function.

Omega Memory with Curcumin from Nordic Naturals

Containing a blend of four potent nutrients, Omega Memory with Curcumin from Nordic Naturals supports cognitive clarity, memory health, and neurological function. The omega-3s EPA and DHA, combined with phosphatidylcholine, support the structure and function of brain cells. Optimized curcumin and huperzine A help move information throughout the brain and protect neurons by reducing the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

What fun memory games to you play to stay sharp? Share them with us in the comments section below.

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Photo by Anita Jankovic on Unsplash

Natural Flea and Tick Control for Pets

Our four-legged friends are, without question, a part of our family, and our houses would not be homes without them. We care for our pets with love, ensuring they have access to ample exercise, stimulating toys, and all-natural pet food. Another crucial area of care for pets is flea and tick prevention, which becomes even more important as the weather warms up.

Fleas are a nuisance to pets and humans alike, causing itching, scabs, and worms – not to mention they are a hassle to get rid of. Ticks, on the other hand, are harder to spot and can carry Lyme disease, which dogs and some cats can contract. Lyme disease can be impossible to get rid of and may cause joint pain, swelling, reduced appetite, and even kidney failure.

It’s clear that in order to provide the best care for our pets, we must place flea and tick control at the top of our lists, but is there a way to do so without harsh chemicals and poisons? Keep reading for tips on how to naturally keep your pet and home pest-free this summer, and all year long.

Understanding the Flea & Tick Population

The majority (up to 85%) of the flea and tick population is comprised of eggs and larvae, and killing them is the easiest way to reduce the population. However, most of the time when we see fleas and ticks on our pets they are the annoying adults which are more difficult to get rid of. Our best defense against fleas and ticks involves using preventative medication and treating our yards and surrounding areas to kill eggs and larvae before they mature.

Natural Flea and Tick Prevention

Some natural ways to reduce fleas and ticks in your yard are surrounding areas are by planting rosemary and putting out tick tubes, which use permethrin soaked cotton balls to kill ticks where they hatch. You can also use a spray that introduces nematodes (tiny worms) into your yard, within 24 hours, this method can decrease the number of larvae in your yard by 90%.

In addition, Wondercide, a natural pet care company, makes a Flea & Tick Control Yard + Garden Concentrate which is eco-friendly and designed to keep fleas and ticks out of your yard.

When it comes to your home’s interior, you can sprinkle boric acid on your carpet before vacuuming to eradicate ticks and spray a safe chemical called nylar to your hard floors and surfaces.

Our Favorite Flea and Tick Control Products

When it comes to skin care and bath products for your pet, we recommend purchasing natural, trusted items that will prevent pests while being kind to your pet’s skin.

Anti-Itch Sprays

When fleas, ticks, or other skin irritations pop up, sooth your pet with Itchy Owie Ointment from Pet Wellbeing. This balm uses a blend of soothing herbs like calendula and marshmallow root, as well as aloe vera juice and vitamin E in a base made of nourishing coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and certified-organic beeswax.

Preventative Sprays

Keep fleas and ticks off your pet by coating their fur with a natural, preventative spray like Flea + Tick Spray for Dogs and Cats from Pet Naturals of Vermont. Using a blend of essential oils, this product soothes your pet’s skin while keeping pests at bay.

Bath Products

Flea and Tick Natural Shampoo Bar from Wondercide uses citronella and geranium protect your pet from insect bites.

How do you keep your beloved pets free from fleas and ticks without an added side of harsh chemicals? What natural pet care products do you use on your furry friends? Share your tips in the comments section below.

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