Breath of Fresh Air

Most people spend up to 80% of their day indoors. With our indoor air being polluted by so many sources of VOCs around us, this can cause it to be worse than breathing outdoor air. One solution is filling your house with plants.
All plants recycle oxygen, so they cleanse the air, but their ability to break down pollutants is scientifically proven. NASA did a study where various plants were exposed to high levels of pollution inside sealed chambers. The study's results showed that certain plants are better at removing toxins than others.
The top 10 indoor plants were most effective at removing up to 90% of formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air within 24 hours!

This is a list of the top 10 air filtering plants for your home, with links how how to care for them:

*Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifritzii)
*Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestmu)
*English Ivy (Hedera helix)
*Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jemasonii)
*Janet Craig (Dracaena)
*Marginata (Dracaena marginata)
*Mass Cane/Corn Plant (Dracaena massangeana)
*Mother-in-law's Tongue (Sanserviereia laurentii)
*Pot Mum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
*Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum "Mauna Loa")

The process by which the pollutants are removed from the air involves the leaves absorbing the chemicals, and then the bacteria in the plant's root systems processing them as nutrients.
According to the study, one 6 inch houseplant per 100 square feet of space is enough to be helpful in cleansing indoor air. Also, the healthier the plant, the more efficient it works.
To learn more about this study, the book How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants to Purify Your Home or Office, by B.C. Wolverton, talks about NASA's 25 years of study on the subject of "sick building syndrome". Or visit this website.

GROWING HEALTHY INDOOR PLANTS

Indoor plants need water, light, and a small amount of fertilizer. In keeping with a natural lifestyle, choose organic houseplant fertilizer to feed your plants. I have seen a couple brands at Target, Walmart, and even Home Depot. They usually contain fish emulsion and seaweed, in a liquid or powder form.
This website shows how to care for indoor plants, with information on how to select plants, how much light they need, how much to water, etc... Each plant has it's own needs, and following the instructions for caring for them helps you to pick the right plant for your circumstances. Here is another good reference to check out for info on how to take care of indoor plants organically. They also have a section to help figure out what plant you have if you don't know the name of one you already own.

Plants enjoy being loved, talked to , some studies even show they enjoy music being played to them! See this website about talking to them and this one about playing music for them for more information on this amazing subject!

Once you get good at taking care of indoor plants, the next step is growing food for your family! Stay tuned for this subject in my next post!

Green Parent Report 101

We all want the best for our children. I want to help by providing information on subjects that are very important to those of us who are trying to raise caring, conscious children.

I realize that we all have busy lives. We can't always do everything the way we would if we lived in a perfect world, where we would have unlimited time on our hands. We sometimes have to pick and choose areas of life that we feel are most important, and invest our time and energy into making those areas of life the best that we can.

My goal is to save you time and energy by sharing tips and tricks to make your life more "green". For example, there are certain plants that improve the indoor air quality in your home, baby food recipes using whole foods, websites about attachment parenting, blogs on renewable resources, how-to projects for reducing your carbon footprint...

Community is important when raising a family that cares for the planet, as well as each other. Listings of events in communities around the country will introduce you to other families with the same priorities, as well as providing information and support.

I look forward to sharing my ideas, as well as hearing from those who would like to share. Please feel free to comment and leave links to your websites of interest, or just to say hello. I love meeting new friends!