Adding houseplants to your home adds a pop of green color and a feeling of freshness, but they can also make a decorative statement. Instead of the usual small ferns and succulents, try adding these large-scale houseplants to a bare room in your home at The Broadwater.

1. Dracaenas. This inexpensive plant comes in many sizes, but its cane form is the largest and most impactful. It features long, curved leaves that extend all the way up the length of the cane, creating a lush look that’s perfect for bare corners of a room.
2. Palms. If you prefer a tropical look, palm plants are a great choice. These come in a variety of styles, though if you’re worried about how it will hold up, purchasing a higher quality palm is recommended.
3. Fiddle Leaf Fig. For renters with lots of sunlight, the fiddle leaf fig tree works well in many spaces. This type of tree contains large, green leaves that grow tall and wide to fill those empty spaces.
4. Norfolk Pine. If you love the smell of pine trees during the holiday season, you can have that in your home all year round with a Norfolk pine. This needle-covered tree grows well in bright or indirect sunlight, and it can even grow to be up to 20 feet tall!

The 15 easiest indoor house plants that won't die on you [Today]
5 Tall Indoor Plants [Ambius]
Large House Plants [Guide to Houseplants]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr emily @ go haus go

Baytown Nature Center offers visitors a chance to relax in the beauty of the natural world in a wetland setting. Here, bird watchers can view some of the more than 200 species of birds that call the area home at different times of the year, including raptors, sparrows, woodpeckers, waterfowl, and songbirds. A wide variety of butterflies—more than 30 species!—also call the park home, so don't skip a lap around the butterfly garden (keep your eyes peeled for hummingbirds!).

Hiking, biking, and jogging on the more than five miles of nature trails in the park provide a chance to get some exercise while observing nature in a pristine setting. Pick up a trail map at the Butterfly Garden parking lot. Fishing and crabbing are a favorite pastime on the pier at the San Jacinto Point Recreation Area. There’s also a fishing pier at Crystal Bay and Burnet Bay. Note that people 17 and older must have a fishing permit.

Baytown Nature Center is open sunrise to sunset daily. Admission is $3 per visitor aged 13 and up.

Baytown Nature Center
6213 Bayway Drive
Baytown, TX 77520
(281) 424-9198
www.baytownnaturecenter.org
www.yelp.com/biz/baytown-nature-center-baytown

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/likeaduck

Since 1993 Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen has been in the business of tasty Mexican cuisine. Gringo’s offers La Porte diners a menu full of classic Mexican dishes featuring fresh and tasty ingredients. From the super friendly staff to excellent dishes, you are sure to fall in love with all Gringo’s has to offer. Happy hour specials include many fantastic drink specials, including margaritas, draft beers, and many fantastic small plates perfect for dining at the bar. These include barbecue pork quesadillas with a great smoky flavor, mini empanadas with your choice of meat, and a sampler platter of Mexican favorites. Entrees at Gringo’s feature just as many good eats. House favorites include fish tacos with chipotle mayo, Andouille sausage in a tasty sauce served on a grilled chicken breast, and roasted peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef. There are even a few non-Mexican items, including fried chicken breasts, juicy burgers, and the so-called Amazon wrap replete with chicken and fresh veggies.

Gringo's Mexican Kitchen
2631 Underwood Road
La Porte, TX 77571
(281) 470-7424
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gringos-mexican-kitchen-la-porte