The corner where I sit to work is bright and inspiring. My desk faces a wall of glass, so I am continually bathed in sunshine while I write. And right next to my desk – which is forever littered with stacks of paper and business cards – I have a little area that I think of as my oasis. This is the view from where I sit.

I’ve got a lot of house plants. 15 at my last count. I like to think that they make our apartment look tropical and alive. My husband thinks they make the place look cluttered. But I’m never giving them up and I do my best to keep them alive and bright and green, because these houseplants are the closest I can feel to being in my tropical element.

I’ve heard so many stories of island transplants who fill their homes with plants, attempting to create a little corner of home. I’m one of them.

This week is National Houseplant Week, and the folks at Costa Plants reached out with the idea of a houseplant giveaway. Cute idea, right? And here we are. One lucky reader will get a box containing FIVE beautiful houseplants to enhance their living spaces with. The plants include: a palm, a fern, a Dracaena, and a beautiful flowering orchid. I’ve been caring for these plants for a week now, and musing about why I love having house plants and keep wanting more of them. Here’s what I came up with.

5 Reasons I Love Having Houseplants

1 – they’re beautiful and make my living space look lush, inviting and alive

2 – having green, vibrant plants around me reminds me of Trinidad, especially when the weather in Chicago takes its inevitable turn for the worst. My mom has always loved plants and fresh flowers. She passed that along to me for sure.

3 – live houseplants can cleanse indoor air from chemical pollutants!

4 – learning to take care of my houseplants feels like a sign of maturity. I used to joke that I had a “brown thumb.” Now I’m more patient, more mature, and more likely to do research to give a plant what it needs to thrive, rather than just being all like “oh well, I’m a plant killer.”

5 – they make me happy. That’s reason enough, right?

Now, giveaway time!

This giveaway will be officially closed by Monday September 23rd. How do you enter, how do you win?

Comment below and tell me why you love having houseplants!

One lucky reader will get a box containing FIVE beautiful houseplants to enhance their living spaces with. The plants include: a palm, a fern, a Dracaena, and a beautiful flowering orchid. The winner will be chosen at random, and Costa Farms will mail your plants to you.

– to enter you have to be living in the USA

– I’m not responsible for mailing out these items, please be aware

– please comment with your correct e mail address that you use regularly

Good luck, bellas! There are more giveaways in store. Stay tuned!

Check out Costa Plants on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks for the giveaway, guys!

COMMENTS

D.E. says:

September 19, 2013, 5:02 pm

One big reason why I love houseplants are that houseplants provide brilliant and colorful indoor air filtration. I recently read an article about certain plants that not only provide oxygen (important for those dealing with anemia, like me, who need to get more oxygen to the blood) and lower carbon dioxide but can rid the air of indoor air pollutants and toxins, which appear to be as bad or worse than outdoor air pollution. Houseplants can rid indoor air of toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, carbon monoxide that seep in from outdoors or are present in chemicals from cleaning products (although these days, I mostly make my own or use 'green' cleaning products). Even electronics, like my beloved laptop (yes, I do love my laptop!) emit acetone and the Peace Lily, for example, sucks that up and out of the atmosphere. In short, I just love houseplants because they're ingenious, they improve the look of the atmosphere and they clear they air. All this from a lovely houseplant. Brilliant!

milaxx says:

September 19, 2013, 5:33 pm

I'm not a island gal, but I always like having something green and living in my house. especially living in an urban environment where greenery is a rare commodity. My only struggle is explaining to the cat they are hers to snack on!

Shana says:

September 19, 2013, 5:56 pm

I love houseplants because I grew up with in South America, where they were a staple. My mom always told us that during the day they released oxygen and aided in keeping the air clean and at night we would sit them outside so they could get some good "night dew" :-). Houseplants remind me of my childhood home.

pets says:

September 19, 2013, 6:34 pm

House plants are a joy and if you live in apartments or condos and do not have access to your own land space then this is one way to bring the outdoors in. Your corner looks beautiful and Max obviously agrees. Thanks for this.

Ama says:

September 19, 2013, 9:07 pm

Plants in my home bring brightness to my day. It gives me a feeling of calmness and a sense to just pause and appreciate the moment. It takes me to places I have traveled to or reflecting on pieces of the past and current day that brings me joy. I didn't grow up with plants in our home, but traveling to Ghana, UK, and around the US has changed that. Since 2011 I have made an effort to connect more with nature and in doing so, I have grown to love houseplants.

Tan says:

September 19, 2013, 9:38 pm

Living in my own apartment without roommates in new city without any loved ones, houseplants make me feel less alone. They cheer me up, make me think of my next vacation home, and give me something to care about aside from myself. Also it reminds me of when I was young and I would plant seeds in my front year and watch them grow! I felt proud, nurturing, and productive Xx

Angel Wms says:

September 20, 2013, 7:39 am

For my my house plant feeds my nuturing side. They actually "feel" like living beings and I take pride that I assist them in growth. And then my favorite is my peace lily that belonged to my Great-gma. When she passed this is the one thing took of hers, but it makes me happy to see it still spunky, strong, standing tall and alive.... just how she lived her life

asha says:

September 20, 2013, 9:43 am

I love houseplants for all the reasons you listed. I was born here but my family is from Panama. The green spaces in NYC are very different than the lush, tropical growth there so my grandmother grew houseplants. She kept (and raised me to keep) an orderly home but she allowed her houseplants to bloom and grow freely. I remember relatives sneaking clippings back from their trips home to give to my grandmother.

Chai says:

September 20, 2013, 10:50 am

I've always been a bit weary of having houseplants in my home, simply for fear of not caring for them the way I saw my Mum and friends do so well over the years. But recently, I've been bitten by the bug, and have started to adopt a few lovlies to grace my apartment. My home is on the small side, but my babes have really brought a welcoming state of calm and joy! More importantly, I'm slowly but surely getting over that once old fear - and taking the chance on caring for something that's living, albeit delicate in nature is so great.

Angela says:

September 20, 2013, 11:46 am

I like houseplants, because for some reason, I can't grow anything outside. I have a plant that a co-worker gave me 4 years ago, and I'm so proud that it's thriving & growing. I'd love to try some other plants.

Keisha says:

September 20, 2013, 3:32 pm

I love houseplants because they remind me of my mother and grandmother (who are both from Trinidad). When I was growing up, my grandmother's living room was basically a tiny jungle. She had two super tall Dracaenas, several pothos climbing up one wall and across the curtain rods, some Boston ferns, split-leaf philodendrons, and tons of other plants that I can't remember. It was my job to help her water and prune them every weekend. When I graduated from high school (13 years ago), she gave me a pothos of my own to take to college with me; I still have him and he's thriving! My mother's house has a sunroom full of plants-- her favorites are her Dracaena and elephant ears. I just love having green around me. It reminds me of the beauty of nature.

Chinye says:

September 20, 2013, 3:37 pm

I love houseplants because they make me happy, even in the cold weather we have here in Chicago. Watering my plants, watching them sustain and grow makes me incredibly happy. This summer, I was able to grow lettuce and tomato (!) on my back porch. It is amazing what we can do with seeds, soil, water and a little sun. This is how I know God is real.

Michi Chassagne says:

September 21, 2013, 2:06 am

Number one, this is a FANTASTIC contest! Chiming in. plants reflect my inner-spiit and they really tell my life story. As a child, I watched my mom nurture her plants, and I could not wait to repeat those steps as I matured and learned to respect nature. My rhythm would off if I did not keep fresh flowers and bright green plants in my home. I truly adore the way houseplants make my feel...warm, happy, evolving and beautiful inside. +Michi

Michi Chassagne says:

September 21, 2013, 2:08 am

Number one, this is a FANTASTIC contest! Chiming in. plants reflect my inner-spiit and they really tell my life story. As a child, I watched my mom nurture her plants, and I could not wait to repeat those steps as I matured and learned to respect nature. My rhythm would be off if I did not keep fresh flowers and bright green plants in my home. I truly adore the way houseplants make my feel…warm, happy, evolving and beautiful inside. +Michi Reply

Paige Kelley says:

September 21, 2013, 9:40 pm

I love having houseplants in my home because of their beauty. But mostly because my daughter has lots of allergies and the plants help with the oxygen in the home so it helps her with her asthma!

Paige Kelley says:

September 21, 2013, 9:44 pm

And my current email is lynettepaige@gmail.com!

latanya says:

September 22, 2013, 2:20 pm

I love houseplants because they are easier to care for and they help to keep the air clean in our home. dlatany at gmail dot com

Kimberly Keyosha Frink says:

September 23, 2013, 11:07 am

Having houseplants not only beautify your home, it allows fresh air throughout your home. Having a green thumb is great! I have several plants in my living room and it gives my place a bright and jazzy vibe.