Where do you often find houseplants? In the living room? A bedroom? The home office? All can certainly benefit from a plant or two, but what about plants in the kitchen and bathroom?

Many tall-ceiling kitchens have ledges above the cabinets that are ideal for trailing plants like curly-leaved ivy.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Add a touch of color to your dining table’s fruit centerpiece with a potted African violet perched on a riser.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Once rare and precious, the beauty of orchids is now an affordable plant for the bathroom. Moth orchids (like this one) are long-blooming, sturdy plants with delicate floral sprays.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Your tub’s surround can be the perfect home for a gardenia, a plant that needs little light but ample humidity. The aroma of its flowers will perfume the air as you bathe, providing natural aromatherapy.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Robert J. Dolezal

The kitchen is the hub of family activity in most homes – why not make it even cozier with a few houseplants? No matter how large, small, light or dark your kitchen, there’s a houseplant sure to work in your space. Large and airy new-style kitchens are especially ideal for a variety of plants. Many have built-in tiled windowsills where you can grow just about anything. If you have the space, a baker’s rack brimming with colorful blooming and foliage plants can make a particularly cheerful statement. In smaller kitchens with less natural light, choose plants that require low-light conditions, and let them drape down the refrigerator’s side.

And while just about any plant can grow in the kitchen, a selection of herbs serves double duty by cheering up the room and inspiring the chef with fresh seasonings. Given adequate light, most herbs do well indoors. Basil, bay, chamomile, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme are all good choices. And because you only need just a few herbs at a time when cooking, you can grow your herbs in small containers or in one terra-cotta strawberry pot (which has separate planting holes all around it), so they won’t take up too much room.

In general, humidity is higher in the kitchen than other areas of a home, so select plants that thrive in moist conditions. That said, there are a few things to consider when using plants in the kitchen. For starters, be aware that the humidity level normally drops during times when kitchen use is limited. Also keep in mind that cooking releases grease that may coat and smother plant leaves. Tough, glossy-leaved plants tend to hold up better than those with softer, more delicate foliage. It also helps to clean your plant leaves on a regular basis by gently washing them with water and allowing them to air-dry.

Remember practical requirements, too. Because the kitchen is primarily a working area, safety is paramount. Place all your plants in the kitchen away from the stove and oven, as well as other busy locations where they could become a hazard or suffer heat damage.

But the kitchen isn’t the only room with a good humidity factor. Another great room for growing houseplants – especially those that flourish in the warmth and wet of a tropic-like setting – is the bathroom. Like the kitchen, the bathroom is often high in humidity. Thanks to this extra moisture, plants in bathrooms tend do very well (provided that the windows are closed most of the time).

Houseplants also do wonders for a bathroom’s décor, a room that’s typically designed with a lot of hard lines and features, with porcelain countertops and metal and brass fixtures. Plants soften edges, making the room more inviting and relaxing. In fact, the combination of plants and water can be almost mesmerizing: Imagine taking a long, leisurely soak in the tub while gazing at thriving orchids along the edge or a Boston fern hanging from the ceiling. (It’s like a day at your own personal spa!)

Bathrooms have many suitable locations for plants, too. Besides tub-side or hanging from the ceiling or a wall, plants in the bathroom can sit on the back of the basin, next to the sink, on a plant stand or along the windowsill.

Like with most rooms of a home, lighting may pose the biggest challenge for your bathroom plants. Most plants thrive in fairly bright rooms. If your area is dim, consider changing your window treatments to let in more light, or look into supplemental lighting for your plants. You also can rotate plants to a sunnier location for a time and then bring them back to the bathroom for a bit.

Caring for plants in the bathroom is about the same as for other houseplants, except for fertilizing. If your bathroom is small, you might want to curb plant growth. In that case, fertilize lightly on a monthly basis only during the warm months. Of course, for quicker growth – if you’re trying to get a vine to drape from a window treatment, for example – you can fertilize at full strength. Just make sure to read and follow all package directions carefully, water before and after you apply the fertilizer, and allow the plant to drain.

When people think of houseplants, they tend to think of rooms other than the kitchen or bath, but you may be surprised at how well your indoor plants grow in these often overlooked, high-humid environments. Try a houseplant or two in these areas of your home, and see how much more inviting – and beautiful – they can be!