“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
Audrey Hepburn
If you ask any gardener or Plant Parent about why they are passionate (ahem, borderline obsessive) about plants, you will likely receive many different answers. Below is a list of some of the most common reasons why people get sucked into this addiction passion. While this list is by no means comprehensive, I would have no doubt that some of these points (or all) are why so many people love (or are starting to fall in love) with plants.
Plants Make People Happy
For the majority of (if not all) Plant Parents, getting their plants to thrive or bloom is incredibly satisfying. Plant parenting is all about delayed gratification, and when your plants get big and beautiful and start shooting off flowers in all directions, aren’t you elated that your hard work and care has paid off?
Even the act of caring for plants on a day-to-day basis can make you feel happy. Endorphins and serotonin (“happy” hormones) are released into the brain when you are watering, cleaning and repotting. At the same time cortisol (not-so-good stress hormones) levels drop. Green leafy things are a proven mood-booster and the long-term positive mental benefits of plants are well worth the work.
Plants Reduce Stress
Scientific research (here and here) has shown that seeing or touching plants induces a calming response and helps ease stress. So if you are finding yourself extremely stressed at work and entertaining thoughts of throwing staplers at people (yes, I know it’s very tempting), do yourself a favor and stop by a local nursery or garden center for some indoor plants. Not only will you get to pick up some lovely plants, but you can also soothe your mind by taking a break from your stressors and surrounding yourself with greenery.
Of course, there can also be too much of a good thing (I know, I know, it sounds like blasphemy); if your ever-increasing plant collection causes you stress, it may be time to give away or sell some of your plants. I’m sure any botanically-inclined family members, friends or coworkers would be happy to receive them!
Plants Increase Creativity
Even if the vast range of textures, colors, scents and shapes of plants and flowers weren’t enough to spark your creativity, a study conducted in 2012 demonstrated that the color green helped improve creativity. Most people can attest to feeling more inspired when they spend more time outdoors surrounded by nature. So the next time you’re working on a musical, literary or visual masterpiece, make sure you’re surrounded by plants!
Plants Increase Productivity
Ever have difficulty focusing or being productive at work or in your studies? Get some plants! New research suggests that having plants in an office environment can boost productivity by almost 15%! Since productivity and focus are tied to mood, it makes sense that having plants decorating your space will make you feel a lot happier and more focused. Even huge companies like Amazon have realized that plants are extremely beneficial in their workplaces. The Amazon Spheres, an ultramodern conservatory based on their Seattle campus, is a botanical marvel. After all, who wants to be stuck in a boring, sterile working environment anyway?
Plants Improve Your Environment
I think we can all agree that plants are extremely important to the environment and to life in general. That being said, bringing plants into your home and office can have some great benefits.
- Carbon dioxide removal. Plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, and give off oxygen in return. Honestly, who can say “no” to more oxygen? And while we’re on the topic of carbon dioxide, the next time your roommate or significant other gives you a hard time about bringing another plant home, tell them: “I’m doing my part to fight climate change.” Let me know how that statement flies (or not)!
- Air quality. Plants can also filter out chemicals and pollutants in the air. While NASA’s 1989 Clean Air Study has been mostly debunked (it would take almost 700 plants to get the same air-purifying effects that they tout), plants are still capable of removing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air. This is illustrated in a more recent 2016 study.
- Humidity. As plants photosynthesize, they transpire water from their leaves. In an indoor environment, this transpiration effect can help raise the relative humidity, but not excessively so. Having this moisture in the air is better for your skin. It also helps reduce the amount of dust particulates, and lessens the irritation of dry air in your sinuses and lungs.
Gardening Is (Physically) Good For You
Gardening can be hard work, especially if you also have a backyard or front yard to maintain. Weeding, digging, planting, hauling and lifting can definitely give you quite the workout! If you live in an apartment building and don’t have a yard, chances are you are still lifting and hauling potted plants, bags of potting soil and brimming watering cans.
And in an age where indoor office jobs are the norm, getting some additional sun exposure will help boost your Vitamin D levels, which can benefit your immune system.
Plants Help You Connect With Others
One of the greatest benefits of plants is that the gardening and plant community are some of the most generous communities you can be a part of! Gardeners love to share and gift plants and plant material, and provide tips and insight willingly and freely. I have found that established collectors and gardeners are always happy to help newbies get started on their budding plant collections.
Not only is sharing plants a great way of forming new friendships with like-minded people, it is also an excellent method of creating a “backup” of your collection in another location. If one of your prized plants is infested with thrips and is beyond rescue, your friend will have a “duplicate” that they can then propagate and gift back to you.
Plants Are Just Downright Cool
Remember the last time you saw a cool plant or flower and it stopped you in your tracks? The Plant Kingdom is filled with such a vast array of plant species that it is impossible not to appreciate its remarkable diversity. From flamboyant orchid flowers to the specially-adapted, snap-trap leaves of the Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula), there is no shortage of everything beautiful, bizarre or awe-inspiring. You don’t have to be a full-fledged botanist to wonder and appreciate all the amazing characteristics of plants.
So what do you think? Do you have your own reasons why you love plants that I haven’t covered? Feel free to share your thoughts!
Always Keep Growing,
Heather (a.k.a. The Botanical Chick)
