Although you will not be able to tell on the Unconquered Peaks website, I’ve written this article in a gorgeously stylish font (Goudy Old Style, if you must know), in a feeble attempt to convey the beauty and the sophistication of what we mortals call Houseplants. They say sharing is caring, and so today I would like to share with you my reasoning as to why we should all idolise houseplants, put them on a pedestal (literally and figuratively – go get your Monstera one of those three-legged metal stands), and generally surround ourselves with them. If you’re in desperate need of hoarding something – hoard plants.
When researching for this article, I visited a multitude of different websites claiming to enlighten me with the science behind the benefits of houseplants and gardening, and boy was I not disappointed in some of their descriptions. For instance, Healthline’s number one reason to have these beauties in your room was that “indoor plants may help reduce stress levels”. Where to start with this! If we were to take this at face value, I’m a little perturbed as to why the entire school isn’t one big hedge – everyone would breeze through exams without a second thought. But let’s put our critical thinking hats on, and dive into Healthline’s scientific proof: to test this theory, a study was conducted in which participants were given two different tasks: repotting a houseplant or completing a short computer-based task. After each task, researchers measured the biological factors associated with stress, including heart rate and blood pressure. Apparently, the computer group’s heart rate went right up (they must have been reading the news, poor souls), whilst the gardening club’s decreased and steadied. What conclusion can we take from this? Correct – join the Gardening Club on Tuesdays.
But alas, although it may appear so, this article isn’t co-curricular propaganda in disguise. Let us now move onto the second reason as to why houseplants are the far superior species: they boost your productivity. It’s a truly symbiotic relationship – you give them love and water, and they give you destress, oxygen and the ability to pump out essays faster than they photosynthesise. In another study, the scientists discovered that workers with plants nearby achieved more on the job and took fewer sick days. Now, I’m not going to coin the phrase ‘a plant a day keeps corona away’, but I sure will think it.
Plants also filter your air for you – the technical term is phytoremediation. They are particularly good at removing volatile organic compounds (which include formaldehyde and benzene), and they do it simply because they can. Aren’t they glorious? Not only that, but during the day they increase the oxygen levels in your space, which is great news for you, because now you can breathe more easily. The plant species that have been proven to be the best for air filtration are Spider Plants, Ficus, and Bamboo Palms.
So far, we have discussed the direct benefits of having indoor plants; now let’s think wider, bigger. I’m sure you’re buzzing (like a bee) to go to a garden centre now, and that is no bad thing, because I strongly believe that the journey to get plants is almost as wholesome as the plants themselves. The anticipation during the walk to the store (because we are eco-friendly and we do not take the car to the holy grail that is the local garden centre), the decisions of which plants to take home with you (because you know you’d gladly take all of them, you just wouldn’t be able to carry them), the stress of figuring out how large certain species get and the immediate relaxation that comes with being in a massive warehouse with a forest’s worth of greenery. Oh and of course, the massive receipt that comes with such a trip.
Finally, the community element of indoor gardening. Once you’ve mastered the basics of keeping your houseplants fed and watered (or should I say ALIVE), maybe even do some yoga with them so they really feel at peace, you can move onto the part that I referenced right at the beginning: the concept of sharing is caring. This is where propagation comes in – taking a part of your plant and gifting that joy to someone else. I’ve got a spider plant child that my friend gave to me on the last day of school last year, and I think I’ve made an excellent adoptive mother because Spider is looking tremendously lush. Loki, whom I got with another friend the day after we watched the Loki series on Disney+ (don’t ask), is also faring well.
To summarise, I think it’s clear to see that the role of houseplants lies far beyond just sitting there looking pretty. They are functioning members of your environment and if you look after them, they will look after you, without ever asking for anything in return. That, folks, is true companionship, and I for one will make sure to celebrate it.
P.S. Join Gardening Club 🙂
