The power of houseplants

Houseplants are a great way to invite nature into your home and workspace. Sharing your indoor space with houseplants is a bit like sharing your home with a pet. You really get to know them on an individual level. You look after them and nurture them and you watch them grow and flourish. You get to know their likes and dislikes and foibles. Whilst many people cannot commit to the huge responsibility of having pets, houseplants are a viable alternative for many. Not only are houseplants rewarding, but they are great for our wellbeing on a number of different levels.

Bringing houseplants into our home and work environments is a way of softening an artificial environment. Having evolved in nature, we are as a species still attuned to the environments in which we evolved. Living in urban environments full of rectangular shapes, hard surface and man-made materials can be quite stressful. We naturally find the shapes and colours of plants calming. Introducing plants into our home and work environments should therefore help to produce a more calming oasis to help counter the stress of modern urban living.

The very act of nurturing plants is good for our wellbeing too. Spending time watering and tending to our plants is quite a mindful, relaxing pursuit getting ourselves out of thinking mode and into the present.

Houseplants are also aesthetically beautiful. We intuitively find the repeating fractal patterns present in many plants very pleasing which has also been shown to be good for our wellbeing. A beautiful specimen houseplant can also make a lovely focus for a meditation or a mindful moment.

Another benefit of introducing plants to your indoor spaces are their ability to improve the quality of the air indoors. As well as the natural process of photosynthesis which takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the air, plants can also help to humidify and purify the air.

Houseplants come in so many different shapes, sizes, forms and colours. Some are super easy to look after like cacti and succulents and others are more picky about the conditions they need to thrive, but there is something for everybody’s situation and level of experience. Each type of plant has its own set of conditions it needs, such as the amount of water, light and humidity they require to thrive. For example, a cactus will enjoy a sunny south facing windowsill, whilst ferns will prefer a shadier, more humid environment like a bathroom. It can be really interesting to research where your plants come from and what kind of environments they would naturally grow in. I would encourage you to be curious about this and spend a few minutes researching this online.

If you fancy giving houseplants a go for the first time, I would encourage you to start simple by trying just one or two easy to care for plants and take it from there. Once you master a couple of plants, you will soon build confidence to try more. Have fun creating your own wee oasis of calm!

'A beautiful plant is like having a friend around the house.' — Beth Ditto

'Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul' - Linda Solegato