The Hello Goodbye Series: Indoor Fresh Air

Recently, I came across this post by Cassie at Hi Sugarplum and this post by Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick regarding house plants and planters.  I realized soon after reading them, that our house had exactly ZERO house plants!  We used to have house plants, but then we moved and somehow the plants were left in our sun porch and they didn't survive the first winter out there.  They never got replaced.

It quickly became important to me to reintroduce some plants into our home.  Hopefully, some hardy plants that we can keep looking nicely without much maintenance.  My original plan was to start with a couple plants.  I picked up this beauty at Home Depot (with a one year guarantee:)) for $31.50 with a coupon:

It's amazing how much color and richness it adds to the space.  Here is a before picture for reference:

I also purchased this aloe plant at Home Depot for $9 with a coupon.  I remember having an aloe plant in our house growing up, and it has medicinal benefits as well.

I think the paint color in our bathroom should be called brown clay pot.

I was planning on being done with plant purchases for awhile so we could see how we did with these two plants, but then I ended up making a run to Walmart the same day for a planter for the aloe, and I noticed that all house plants were on clearance for 50% off.  I ended up buying a mini forest in one day!  I got this ficus for $6:

And this guy for $6:

I even bought a little bonsai for Lucky's room for $7:

I have to get that tag out.  It feels like it's cemented in the 'soil'.

And then I couldn't pass up a couple $6 orchids:

Gorgeous no?  I've been walking past the orchids at Trader Joe's for months now.  They all call my name and say...take me home, take me home!  Now, I've got some orchid babies of my own:)!

I'm just loving all the greenery, and I especially love knowing that our air is cleaner with our oxygen producing plant friends in the house.  I still have a few succulents on my 'wish list' and maybe a tall money tree or two for our front room and master bedroom, but for now, we have a wonderful start for $70 total.  Not too shabby!

Hello fresh air from our new plants, goodbye to our plant-less house!  Has anyone else been filling their home with plants lately?  Any suggestions for hardy, low maintenance house plants?