6 plant-raising tips that helped out green thumbs in 2017

You can buy all the hygge-inducing throw pillows and blankets you can find, but what every living space really needs is something, well, living. It’s science—being around nature can make you happier and healthier. Enter: the house plant.

Indoor blooms serve a myriad of purposes: They’re nice to look at, add calming elements to any room, improve air quality, and, if you’re planting herbs or other edibles, you can even cook with them. The best news of all? Bringing nature into your home doesn’t need to be difficult.

If you’re new to gardening and plant parenting, fear not: There are so many ways to achieve botanical boss status—even if you weren’t born with a green thumb.

Check out the 6 best planting pointers from 2017

1. Test your plant-raising skills on beginner-friendly varieties

If you’re a plant-lady-in-training, consider starting with hard-to-kill indoor options, like jade plants or trailing plants.

2. Forget the windowsill: Let your blooming beauties grow in the shower

There are plenty of pretty plants that thrive on humid, shower-like environments. (Imagine an orchid next to your bottle of conditioner. Downright dreamy, right?)

3. If you’re not sold on the shower situation, the kitchen is your sweet spot

Indoor herb gardens are all the rage right now. Bonus: They look cool and they’re functional. A fresh pinch here and there will enhance many a dish.

4. It’s actually not tough to make your home feel like a blissed-out yoga studio

The lighting and the furniture do matter, but the right pop of green can make your space feel more calm and improve potentially skin-damaging air quality.

5. Houseplants make for the ultimate Instagram backdrop

A few well-placed (and, uh, not dead) arrangements will not only transform your living room, bedroom, or bathroom into a total Zen den, they’ll also give you a no-filter-needed setup for your next Portrait-mode mission.

6. Don’t forget to have fun—like Tiffany Haddish

The comedian and Girls Trip star is all about her “joyful greens.” (And they’re Taylor Swift–approved too.)

Transform your living space by creating an indoor plant oasis. And while plants make great decorations, they also make top-notch DIY cleaning products.