If anyone knows me, or has seen my flat, they’ll know I’m pretty obsessed with plants. Luckily, my best friend / flatmate is too so it’s no wonder we have a total of 26 plants in our two bed apartment. We’re not quite sure when our boyfriends are going to tell us we can’t have anymore but we’re still going strong for now. It’s actually #HouseplantAppreciationDay as I’m writing this, so I wanted to share why houseplants are so good for you, plus my favourite green friends (that I probably take better care of than myself).
I wanted to share exactly why I love plants and why I think everyone should have some dotted around their home. Of course, plants are simply really nice decorations – they fill empty spaces, add colour to your rooms and are lovely to look at – but there are also major benefits to your health when you bring nature into your home.
Why are houseplants good for you
Enhanced mental well-being
Studies have found that houseplants help to increase levels of positivity, as surrounding yourself with greenery can help us to feel relaxed. So while most of us are still stuck indoors, maybe we should add a few houseplants to our desks and living rooms and see if we feel a bit happier for it?
Better physical health
It was discovered, by NASA, that houseplants can actually remove up to 87 per cent of air toxin in 24 hours. It was also found that hospital patients with a view of nature from their windows recovered faster than those without (Ulrich, 1984).
Better concentration
A study has also found that having houseplants on your desk or in a room where you’re working can increase attention and concentration levels.
This is why plants are often dotted around offices too, and yet another reason why you should fill your home offices and other rooms with them.
Thinking about it, I am probably obsessed with houseplants, so here are my favourites…
My favourite plants
My monstera (who I call Pam)
I bought my second monstera earlier this year (to keep my baby monstera company) and it has quickly become my favourite plant. It seems to be thriving in our flat and has grown a lot in the last six months.
I absolutely adore the leaves and shape of these plants and think they make any space look jungle-like and wonderful. And it’s always a lovely surprise when you see another new leaf coming out (that’s what the light green leaves are in the photo below).
Spider plants
Spider plants have always been an easy choice for me too. They take up a lot of room, whether they’re placed on a shelf or windowsill, and their long leaves are a lovely addition to any room.
They – so far – also seem quite hard to kill so they’re an easy one for beginners!
Snake plants
A new found love of mine, and I now have three snake plants of my own. I didn’t quite realise how many varieties there were, and that they could grow little baby snake plants so easily too.
I have a Snake Plant Zeylanica, a Cylindrical Snake Plant and a Sansevieria trifasciata (which now has a little baby too!).
Money plants
A slightly touchy subject at the moment as I’m having to throw my amazing money plant away due to bugs getting their hands on it. Sad times.
But my money plant has grown from a teeeeeny tiny plant, to the below, to some sort of monster taking over my flat. It’ll be a shame to get rid of it but I don’t want it to infect our other… 25 plants.
So there you have a few reasons why houseplants are actually incredibly good for you… plus a few of my favourite green babies.
Do you have any houseplants of your own?
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I remember touring a factory in the Soviet Union, way back when, and they had a man who’s job it was to help worker’s cope with stress by sitting them in a room full of houseplants. I tried it too and I think it worked, but I didn’t really understand everything he was saying! My Russian was good, but not houseplant good!
Wow that’s quite a story, and just goes to show how universally known it is that houseplants increase mood!