STEPHANIE FRANCIS ON HOW AN URBAN JUNGLE HELPED HER BEAT THE LOCKDOWN BLUES
INTERVIEW
PLANT POWER : WORDS BY ZAHRA KHADIR
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on our everyday life and mental health. Luckily urban gardening has been the perfect way to cope for Stephanie Francis, as she reconnected with nature during lockdown.
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t is no secret that gardening can boost your mood which is why many turned to plants to reduce their stress and anxiety when the pandemic hit. Coping with isolation and the pace of everyday life slowing down has taken a toll on people’s mental health, especially those of us who are crammed up in tiny flats with little access to green spaces for months on end. This is what happened to the London based, single mother Stephanie Francis. Here, she shares the story of how one Yukka plant became the start of a self-care journey and a learning experience. Before the pandemic hit the UK, 36-year-old Stephanie worked at a primary school as a teacher trainee, until the training programme was suspended by the school due to lockdown and restrictions. The world has come to a standstill and Stephanie found herself without a job and a lack of purpose. “When the first lockdown started, I found myself with more time on my hands, no adults to talk to and a strange sense of being in freefall after being so used to spending most of my time at work. It was lonely and having recently moved to a new apartment, it felt strangely empty,” Stephanie says. Suddenly, every day was spent at home with her 11-yearold son. The only adult she could physically meet and have a conservation with was the postman, which
was even limited due to social distancing. Stephanie explains that this was a big adjustment and it left her feeling extremely lonely. Before Stephanie had to leave the school, she adopted their neglected Yukka Plant, officially making her a plant parent. As she had recently moved into a new apartment, she felt strangely empty and thought some plants would keep her busy. So, in the hopes of livening up the place that she now found herself spending most of her time in, Stephanie set out on a plant journey. Slowly but surely, she found a new purpose. She had always wanted to garden but was limited to a simple windowsill for herbs at best. When doing research, she found that air purifying plants are great for people with allergies. This is what she had been waiting for since she was a little girl as she had severe allergies and gardening outside would start a minefield of reactions. And so, she delved into the world of urban gardening. Her new apartment had big, south-facing windows and a large balcony, so it seemed like the perfect time to extend the plant portfolio. “A few plants quickly became 50 and I couldn’t be happier!” she says.
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