As the new year unfolds, many of us are looking for ways to refresh our living spaces and create a cozier atmosphere, and there's no better way to do so than with plants! Not only does fresh greenery add the soothing touch of Mother Nature to our indoor environments, but it also has a myriad of benefits for our physical and mental health. In this guide, we'll explore some trending indoor plants in Salt Lake City that'll transform any space into a calming and stylish indoor oasis.

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Benefits of Indoor Plants for the New Year

Here's why you need more plants this winter:

Create a Cozy Atmosphere: Indoor plants have the magical ability to transform any space into a warm and inviting sanctuary. Holiday plant decor adds a natural element that resonates with our desire for comfort and relaxation, especially during the colder months.

Enhance Home Decor: Indoor plants serve as living decor elements, effortlessly enhancing different styles and color schemes and accentuating the overall aesthetic of your home.

Thrive Indoors During Winter: The winter months are an ideal time to focus on nurturing and caring for your indoor green companions. While our outdoor landscapes are covered in snow, our indoor plants continue to thrive, providing a visual reminder of life and growth that helps boost our mood during the cold, desolate Utah winter. 

Trending Indoor Plants for Cozy Home Decor

Here are some of our top indoor plant picks for 2024 and why we love them:

Philodendron Giganteum ‘Blizzard’
A visually-stunning choice for those seeking a rare and captivating philodendron variety, the ‘Blizzard’ boasts large, paddle-like leaves with a unique variegation pattern. It flourishes in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil, making it an ideal indoor plant companion for any well-lit area of your home.

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Alocasia ‘Dragon Scale’ 
The alocasia ‘Dragon Scale’ showcases dark green, textured leaves resembling dragon scales, adding a touch of exoticism and intrigue to your space. It prefers bright, indirect light and well-draining soil.

Monstera Subpinnata
Known for its deeply-lobed leaves and intricate, vine-like growth pattern, the monstera subpinnata offers a more delicate and intricate look than traditional monstera varieties. Give it bright, indirect light and moderate humidity, and you'll have a plant partner that'll get you through even the coldest, darkest winter day! Make sure you check out our monstera care tips to keep these greens healthy!

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String of Turtles
The aptly named String of Turtles is a trailing succulent with small, round leaves resembling turtle shells. It looks stunning in hanging baskets or as a cascading element on shelves, and thrives in moderate to bright indirect light and well-draining soil.

Monstera ‘Albo’
The monstera ‘albo’ features large, fenestrated leaves with striking white variegation and is highly sought-after for its elegant and eye-catching appearance. It requires bright, indirect light and a well-balanced watering routine.

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Calathea Orbifolia
Easily recognizable thanks to its large, round leaves with silver-green stripes, the calathea orbifolia offers a unique and elegant look that's perfect for adding a touch of sophistication to your home. It enjoys bright, indirect light and consistently-moist soil.

Hoya Carnosa ‘Krimson Princess’
The koya ‘krimson princess’ features stunning cascading vines adorned with green and pink-tinged leaves that make it ideal for hanging baskets or as a trailing element on shelves. It flourishes in bright, indirect light and well-aerated soil.

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Philodendron ‘Pink Princess’
Featuring heart-shaped leaves with shades of green and pink, the ‘pink princess’ philodendron is highly sought-after for its eye-catching coloration and aesthetic appeal. It requires bright, indirect light and a well-balanced watering routine for the best results.

Red Prayer Plant
This variety of prayer plant features distinctive red veins on its leaves that fold upward at night, resembling praying hands. This adds a touch of movement and interest to your indoor garden. It enjoys nothing more than bright, indirect light and consistently moist soil.

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ZZ ‘Raven’
A unique cultivar of the ZZ plant, the ZZ ‘raven’ boasts dark, almost black, foliage and is renowned for its resilience and ability to thrive in low-light conditions. It requires minimal watering, making it an excellent houseplant for beginners!

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Winter Plant Care Tips for a Cozy Home

Utah's dry winter air can make caring for your new greenery a bit of a challenge, so be sure to follow these care tips to keep your houseplants happy and healthy: 

Ensure Proper Lighting: Because winter often means limited sunlight, you may want to place your plants closer to windows to maximize the natural light. Alternatively, you can supplement your indoor plants with artificial grow lights to meet their energy needs.

Adjust Watering Frequency: Winter's lower temperatures generally mean your indoor plants will require less water. Be mindful of their soil's moisture levels and water your plants when the top inch of soil feels dry. Overwatering can lead to root rot, so moderation is key.

Monitor Humidity Levels: Indoor heating systems can reduce your home's humidity levels, affecting certain plants, especially tropical ones. To counteract this, increase humidity by placing a shallow tray of water near your plants or by misting them regularly.

Protect from Drafts: Cold drafts can harm certain plants, so keep yours away from any drafty windows or doors, as sudden temperature changes can stress them out!

Indoor Plant Trends to Watch in the New Year

Here are a few indoor plant and home decor trends we're excited to see gain traction in 2024: 

Biophilic Design: As the connection between nature and mental well-being continues to gain recognition, we expect the trend of incorporating more natural elements into interior design to continue with even greater force, making now a great time to stock up on new plants!

Rare and Unique Varieties: Plant collectors and enthusiasts are currently seeking out rare and unique plant varieties to add a distinctive touch to their collections. Keep an eye out for uncommon species that stand out, and keep checking in with us at Millcreek Gardens for new arrivals to stay ahead of the crowd!

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Large Statement Plants: Using large plants as focal points in interior design is becoming trendier and trendier, and for a good reason. Statement plants like the fiddle leaf fig, rubber trees, or bird of paradise’s add drama and a sense of grandeur to a space, making them the perfect living focal points for larger rooms in your home.

Succulents: With their resilience and varied aesthetics, succulents remain a staple of indoor gardens in 2024. Versatile and water-wise, they add a modern touch, whether in stylish containers, centerpieces, or wall gardens.

We hope you're getting excited to start collecting some indoor plants of your own for the new year, and we're here to help you grow your green family. For all your plant and plant care needs—or just some friendly plant talk—come visit us at Millcreek Gardens today!

The best part of Halloween is the costumes. The second best? The decor, and for the plant-obsessed among us in Salt Lake City, there's no better way to decorate for spooky season than with a selection of eerie and mysterious plants! If you're looking to celebrate in style this year, check out these not-so-ordinary plants to keep your trick-or-treat table the talk of the town.

The Best Spooky Plants for Halloween Decor
So, what makes a plant truly spooky? Check out the bewildering personalities and appearances of these popular varieties for your fall and Halloween decor (if you dare), and you'll see for yourself!

The Nepenthes Alata

Known more commonly as the Carnivorous Pitcher Plant, is a natural choice for a spooky Halloween plant. Its sinister, pitcher-shaped leaves, adorned with intricate patterns and a menacing allure, evoke images of nature's darker side. This carnivorous plant's ability to trap and consume insects adds to its eerie and hair-raising appeal. 

To maintain its haunting charm, provide bright, indirect sunlight on a windowsill and plenty of high humidity. Try to keep the soil consistently moist as well, but we recommend using distilled water as tap water can harm the plant. For an extra sinister touch, consider placing it alongside Halloween decorations, conjuring up visions of a botanical predator in the midst of the night. The Nepenthes alata adds a spine-tingling element to your Halloween decor.

Crown of Thorns

With its dark, thorny branches and hauntingly beautiful red or orange blooms, it makes an ideal addition to any Utah Halloween decor. Its ghoulish appearance, reminiscent of a bewitched forest, can evoke a sense of some ancient and gothic enchantment. This succulent thrives with minimal care, perfect for those looking for low-maintenance, eerie elegance.

Place it in bright, indirect light, and water it sparingly, allowing the soil to dry between waterings—but beware! Caution is advised when handling this creature of the night as the thorns can be quite sharp. The Crown of Thorns plant's ghostly allure adds a touch of mystique to your Halloween ambiance.

Ghost Cactus

The Ghost Cactus, with its spooky spectral appearance, is the perfect Halloween pal. This unique cactus variety features pale, almost translucent, green or white flesh, resembling apparitions from the spirit world. Its haunting, almost otherworldly presence is a natural fit for Halloween decor, invoking a sense of the supernatural and the unknown.

Care is delightfully low-maintenance, too! Place it in bright, indirect light and water sparingly, ensuring the soil dries out completely between waterings. The Ghost Cactus serves as a captivating, ghostly addition to your Halloween setup, and its resilience adds an effortless yet chilling touch to your botanical collection.

Raven ZZ Plant 

The Raven ZZ plant can be best described as the popular ZZ plant's goth cousin, making it an absolute must for Halloween enthusiasts. With its glossy, jet-black leaves, the Raven variety's unique appearance exudes an air of mystery and enchantment that makes it a perfect choice for Halloween decor.

This plant adds an element of darkness, and can serve as a beautiful contrasting element amongst the other Halloween-themed plants in your display. The Raven ZZ plant is highly adaptable to different light conditions, making it a great choice for rooms in the home with less light.

Alocasia Silver Dragon 

Alocasia Silver Dragon's spooky allure isn't just about its appearance; it also demands specific care, which can add to its eerie charm. This plant prefers indirect, bright light, but not direct sunlight, which can scorch its unique silver-green leaves. It thrives in filtered or partially shaded areas, replicating its natural habitat beneath the rainforest canopy.

When it comes to watering, the Silver Dragon is somewhat finicky (as most dragons are), so it's crucial to maintain evenly moist, but not waterlogged, soil. Silver Dragons are sensitive to overwatering, and this is not a plant you want on your bad side. We recommend allowing the top inch of the soil to dry out between waterings and to use a well-draining potting mix for best results. The element of suspense and caution taking care of this plant makes it perfect for our list!

Rhaphidophora Decursiva

The Rhaphidophora Decursiva, commonly known as the Dragon Tail plant, is a must-have for Halloween. We love its heart-shaped leaves that exhibit a mesmerizing dragon scale pattern that perfectly remind us of mythical creatures running around the neighborhood. This dark green vine exudes a sense of shadowy allure, and we think everyone should have one beside their trick or treat bowl this year. 

To maintain its haunting charm, provide bright, indirect light and keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Dragon Tail plants thrive in high humidity, which can be achieved by misting or placing a shallow dish of water nearby. This plant adds a touch of enchantment to any Halloween-themed display while requiring relatively simple care.

Curating your Halloween garden decor is an easy and unique way to boost your spooky vibes this year, so give these interesting plants a place in your home for a night to remember. From the creepy jaws of the Pitcher Plant to the dark and mysterious Silver Dragon, these plants pack a punch with an extra layer of mystique. For more great seasonal plant recommendations, come visit us today at Millcreek Gardens in Salt Lake City. 

Happy Halloween!