Live and breathe pure fresh air.

I have always loved gardens and we use our garden as an outdoor room so much. Bringing some garden inside as well has so many benefits.

Years ago I read a NASA report on house plants. I was surprised NASA would even have a report on house plants! They found that living plants cleanse the air in your home removing toxic chemicals from the atmosphere. They recommend you have at least 4 houseplants that are healthy in your home. They even have a list of the best toxin removing plants. Others also believe that fresh and alive plants improve the mood of a room and bring peace and tranquility. But the health benefits to your family sold me!

Needing some new house plants I was looking in the nursery. I have orchids that are inside when flowering but they are all outside now. So I need to fill those gaps. Plus a few plants have grown so huge they have had to be moved outside! My nursery trip proved most plants are $20 plus and then you need a nice pot. I noticed a single orchid is $50 too and noted to divide mine as some could make 5 or 6 plants! My friend Barb told me how to do this so I will give it a go.

So I am on a challenge to pot up plants for myself and gifts for free. I have some nice pots on hand to use. Once I run out it seems IKEA may be the best place to get extra nice little pots cheaply.  Or if I think of a way to make some I might do that.

Now I know someone with a whole row of Jade Plants.  A website I like has a lovely list of plants and uses that is really good!  http://jaderbomb.com/2014/01/16/powerful-plants/ I loved this article! I know Jade Plants are thought to bring prosperity and good fortune and are expensive. Potted up they often have a red ribbon around them. So a trip to see my friend produced twenty cuttings which grow easily as they are a succulent. Twenty!

In my garden I have spider plants. These are good air purifiers and grow easily from the shoots they send out. They look lovely too. I found 9 suitable to start plants.

At Mum's house she has tiny ground succulents and they multiply like crazy. With a knife I gathered some from crowded spots and got another half dozen little plants.

My uncle has "hens and chickens" and Chloe got a whole boxful from him for her garden. They have taken off and look stunning! My aunty has Agave and already gave me huge ones... a metre wide! I saw one this big for over $200 in a shop! So my garden has several of these in difficult spots and they look amazing! You just cut them off and in they go and they just grow. That easy.

When I prune my hydrangeas in Autumn I am going to strike them in pots. One flowering small hydrangea is $30 in a plastic pot. I should be striking them! 

So from my little haul yesterday I have potted up some and I have lots in water waiting. I think I will attach a tag to the Jade Plants to explain the traditional uses. 

How cute are these? Cost $0. 

Some of the days haul. In one day I have enough for about 30 pots.

Being summer it is probably not the ideal time. I will keep them inside as I have big window areas. When they are in sight too daily watering is easy. These are my baby spider plants!

Watering this morning I spotted a tiny baby ivy coming up.... once you start looking for something you start finding! I also have other plants that should be divided into more. At the farm there would be so many other options as well. 

Where ever you live there will be easy possibilities and with a little forward planning lots of lovely gifts are yours to give.

Another idea would be to take seedlings of herbs and pot them up and grow then for kitchen gifts. They grow really quickly! 

This is really fun and has so much potential! We are surrounded by abundance, sometimes it amazes me!