by Megy Karydes
P
lants sustain us. Like air and water, we need plants to survive. As it turns out, indoor plants don’t just look good, they also play a role in human health and comfort, according to the Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research. The secret is out, too. In the past three years alone, sales of houseplants in the United States rose by almost 50 percent, according to the National Gardening Association (Garden.org). Many experts, including Tony Abruscato, founder of the Chicago-based nonprofit Get Growing Foundation (GetGrowingFoundation.org) and Plant Truck Chicago, a mobile garden boutique with a mission to inspire the next generation of gardeners, attribute the rise mostly to Millennials.
Fewer Keystrokes, More Tranquility Houseplants are suddenly in vogue again. “Studies and reports show that millennials are seeking to have ownership and care for something, but not necessarily as much as a pet,” says Abruscato. Social media has helped fuel interest, too. It’s hard not to see beautifully-staged photos of urban 42
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jungles inside apartments and not wish our own space could be filled with luscious leafy plants and succulents. Because we spend between 80 to 90 percent of our time indoors, it’s no surprise that what’s inside our homes and workplaces are important for our health. The fact that most plants are also a shade of green helps, as the color creates relaxation, represents nature (which is calming for many) as well as emergence or new beginnings, says LaManda Joy, founder of City Grange Garden Center (CityGrange.com), in Chicago. “Fundamentally, we have existence because of the oxygen-making properties of plants, so perhaps deep down, we know our life depends on plants and the color green,” Joy notes. Color psychology definitely plays a role in why we’re attracted to plants, according to Louise Rosenberg, owner and curator of Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery, in Evanston (CultivateUrbanRainForest.com). Like Joy, she feels green’s calming tone and that houseplants bring us closer to nature help us manage some of the stress we might be feeling with what’s happening in our world.
Right Plant, Right Place As for those perfectly-designed Instagram posts that feature succulents on an adorable shelf or magazine spreads that seem like a family is living in a jungle, most are staged for that perfect photo, according to Lisa Eldred-Steinkopf, founder of The Houseplant Guru (TheHouseplantGuru.com) and author of books on houseplants, including Houseplants: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Growing, and Caring for Indoor Plants. In order for plants to thrive,
Photo Credit: Urban Rainforest & Gallery
Channeling Our Inner Botanist
“Folks are dealing with some serious challenges in the world today, most importantly with the environment, along several other aspects of people’s lives. This is especially true for the younger generations,” Rosenberg says. “Besides the color being calming, I have observed many people touching houseplants. While I do not encourage touching plant leaves all of the time, I do recommend checking the soil regularly for a few reasons. One is to check down into the soil to see if it is time to water your plants. Another great reason to get your hands into your soil is that it can make you feel happy.” According to Medical News Today, friendly bacteria in soil can even activate the production of the brain chemical serotonin. “I think caring for houseplants helps people to feel more connected to the natural world,” she advises. In a world filled with digital pings and endless screen time, caring for houseplants also serve another purpose as a form of therapy. Simply caring for a plant just a few minutes a day or once a week provides enormous benefits and offers us a sense of tranquility and wellness that we can cultivate indoors. “There’s therapeutic value to our mind, body and spirit of having green and growing spaces,” says Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, in Glencoe (ChicagoBotanic. org). To maximize our happiness and wellness quotient, it’s worth taking the time to find the right houseplant.
