I love my plants. I am warmed by seeing their greenery around the house, especially when the outside plants are dormant and bare for the winter. I trust them to help purify the air in my home, as plants are great natural air filters. Plants can also help reduce stress, similar to the way that being outside in nature can help reduce our stress levels.

For all of these reasons, and simply because I think they’re beautiful, I keep lots of plants all around my house.

One of my favorite plant-related things to do in the winter is to force a bulb indoors. Most years, a dear friend of mine gives me an amaryllis bulb for Christmas. I plant this bulb, and throughout January we watch it sprout and begin to grow. Our bulb recently blossomed, bringing a gorgeous reminder of the beauty held dormant inside the outdoor plants during this time of year.

Soon it will be spring, and the beauty of emerging life will be all around us. Until then, we’ll cherish our amaryllis blossom – a harbinger of spring’s approach, and enjoy the cozy, snuggled-in feelings that come along with winter.

You can get some of these great, air-filtering houseplants here: Aloe Vera, Spider Plant, Snake Plant, Golden Pothos, Chrysanthemum, Dracaena, Weeping Fig, English Ivy,Chinese Evergreen, Bamboo Palm, Heart Leaf Philodendron, and Peace Lily.