A home filled with potted plants is a home that exudes character, warmth and fertility. Plants can provide an emotional boost, help cleanse the air and are great simply for their decorative qualities. But the choice and maintenance of potted plants can pose some difficulties.

First is the knowledge that particular plants often require very exacting sizes of pots. They also need to be kept in an area of the home where they'll receive just the perfect amount of sunlight for their variety, and soil levels and the moisture levels of that soil need to be constantly monitored. Many plant species may also require additional touches to keep them in perfect shape. If this sounds like a lot of work, it can be, plants are after all living things that have the same little quirks, likes and dislikes you would find in an animal or human. Once you have your routine down though, you'll find that maintaining your plant in optimal health is not so hard at all.

Variety is the spice of life, so you can't go wrong by populating your abode with a variety of unique and interesting plant life. To cut down on the amount of upkeep required of a variety of different plants and their unique characteristics, choose a few species that require very little water, and little to no fertilizer. These plants will all but maintain themselves, and cut down on the amount of upkeep you'll need to provide for them. Spider plants and cacti are common and popular plants that don't require a lot of special treatment.

As mentioned, pot size and beyond that even pot style and construction material can all play a role in how well your plant takes to them, and well they fit together from an aesthetic standpoint. Let your flair and creativity take root here.

For well lit open corners of a room, a large standing plant is a great choice. A palm is a great choice, but will need more room away from the corner so it isn't restricted.

Most potted plants will need to be re-potted every year or two, though others like bonsais can remain in the same pot for many years if properly cared for. Many plants will require re-potting and/or trimming though as they continue to grow and outgrow their pot or interfere with other household areas through their continued growth.

By carefully staging out your planting duties by acquiring your plants at different times of the years, as well as having species with different growth rates, you can minimize the amount of upkeep that would be required all at once and not get overwhelmed with the workload.

The other benefit of these air scrubbing houseplantsis the variety of species that many will bloom at different times throughout the year, and for varying lengths of time, ensuring you'll always have a nice mix of fully grown and developing plants around.

By mixing up the variety of plants in your house, you can keep a thriving and attractive residence with a minimal amount of upkeep. It's the best of both worlds.