Making Healthy Houseplant Choices

Happy Houseplant Happy Hour Customers

The past few years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of houseplants. With more people quarantining and working from home, adding houseplants (especially those with air purification qualities) has become not only a popular design option, but a new health trend. New plant parents are also more concerned about selecting plants that are safe for their pets and children.
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As the demand for houseplants has grown, so has the number of retailers wanting in on the action. In addition to your local garden centers, many large box stores and grocery retailers are putting out displays of tropical plants. These retailers and their staff generally lack the proper care knowledge for the plants they sell and more importantly, how to detect and treat the many insects and/or diseases they may bring with them. They also probably do not have information on which plants specifically improve indoor air quality or are safe around your dogs, cats and kids.​

Healthy varieties of pothos and philodendron

​The inside of a grocery store or large box store does not provide the ideal growing conditions for many tropical plants. Therefore, the hibiscus you are tempted to take home may already be stressed before you place it in your cart. Each plant has their own specific set of sunlight and watering requirements which should be maintained up until the point of sale.

This is why local garden centers like Burlington Garden Center (BGC) should be your first choice when purchasing houseplants. In addition to assisting new plant parents with the right selections for their homes, we also offer care cards for most of the houseplants we sell. If cards are not on hand, our staff is more than happy to give you instruction on where to place your new plants and how often to water and fertilize them. You can also rest assured that our greenhouse staff is always on the lookout for unwanted pests, and all of our plants are treated immediately and appropriately. We even welcome your questions and are happy to diagnose treatments.

In addition to their vast plant knowledge, many garden centers like BGC have talented staff on hand to assist you with plant styling. Houseplants placed in the appropriate ornamental pots and locations are an extension of your interior design style. BGC also welcomes your plant requests and is always on the lookout for those new and rare houseplants, books and accessories. In the long run, you will save money by purchasing healthy plants and enjoy greater success in caring for them.

You also help to support small, local businesses.

Visit the events page on our website or Facebook page for more information

​Join us at Burlington Garden Center for one of our Houseplant Happy Hour, held on the second Tuesday of each month from 5p-7p. We serve refreshments and offer 20% discount on houseplants. We also have additional staff on hand to answer questions and assist in matching you with the right plants and pots.

Beware…houseplants can be addicting!