I would never, ever be without a houseplant or two - or ten - inside my home. It's not just for decorative purposes (although that's one reason I love them) or because they clean the air (a great reason to have some) but for the most important reason of all: they are my 'connection with nature', which is my ultimate source of ‘soul’ rejuvenation. I love working with them, nurturing them, helping them grow, watching blooms develop and so on. They are ‘that certain something' that helps me relax and 'get away from it all'. My stress relievers. My all-natural relaxants. My non-chemical mood stabilizers on overwhelming days. They are comforting, visually appealing and (usually) undemanding. Unlike dogs, you don’t need to take them for walks or check them for fleas – although they can be plagued by insects. They ask for very little and provide quite a lot in return – beauty, serenity, an essential link to nature.

Life without houseplants? My life? Unthinkable.

I can’t begin to express how important indoor greenery is to me. The cold, lifeless, cement view of the city – especially during the winter when vegetation has died back - just doesn't do it for me. I enjoy being surrounded by all that nature has to offer – trees, grass, flowers, plants, rivers, lakes, the ocean and the chirping of birds in the morning. In the city, the closest thing to Mother Nature is an outdoor garden to nurture. Unfortunately, it's been years since I had an outdoor garden, which I love (and certainly need). But with or without outdoor vegetation to care for, my houseplants, as always, are my touch of nature all year round in this urban existence. Ideally, an indoor and outdoor group of plants to grow would be wonderful but for now some greenery is better than none. The houseplants are here to stay.

Like many others, growing houseplants inside my home is a satisfying hobby. I’m not overly serious about it or completely inflexible because I prefer for it to be more fun than anything else. What’s the point of having a hobby if it’s not a stress-free, enjoyable experience? So I keep it simple to benefit from the tranquility. And I experiment with different methods and practices to keep it exciting. This simple sideline brings a lot of joy and vibrancy into my home. When the days are very short and the sunlight is absent, indoor potted plants chase away the winter blahs.

Occasionally I bring home a small bouquet of fresh cut flowers from the grocery store to place inside a pretty glass vase on the kitchen table. Flowers inside my home always brighten up my day with their brilliant colours and distinct shape. Can there ever be a more talented and outstanding artist than Mother Nature? If you’ve ever taken the time to study a flower in bloom up close, you’ll understand what I mean about small miracles that we fail to notice; small miracles that get pushed aside during our hectic, taxing days; small miracles that (try to) remind us to slow down and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that no matter what type of day I’m having - a new plant, a bouquet of flowers or a houseplant I own that goes in bloom brings joy and satisfaction, relieving my tension and fatigue.

The positive sensations I experience from greenery is nothing unique. There really is something there when it comes to plants...


Plants For Health And Happiness


Houseplants – the ones that bloom and the ones that don’t - have been used for centuries to create ‘living energy’ in homes and workplaces, but they also extend beyond that. They are given as gifts of appreciation, as a warm offering to cheer up a sick friend or family member, as tokens of affection and as expressions of sympathy for the grieving. Blooming and foliage plants have been used for a long time in every aspect of life. They honor, symbolize and adorn a wide range of events including baptisms, weddings, graduation ceremonies, social functions, housewarming get-togethers, congratulatory parties and funerals. They beautify and enhance any room they decorate, creating a hospitable ambiance. Given a choice between the two, people will usually choose to sit in a room that has plants over one that doesn’t.

Plants not only look beautiful, they also improve your health and wellbeing. Research has proven that you benefit physically, psychologically and emotionally surrounded by living green.

Really? Really. How? Well, I’m glad you asked…

Here are some of the wonderful contributions plants make:

• remove harmful chemicals from the air
• absorb noise
• lessen dust in the home
• emit oxygen, refresh the air
• reduce coughs, sore throats and other related illnesses
• make interiors look cared for, welcoming, spacious & clean
• increase humidity
• provide a natural resource for soothing skin irritations (Aloe Vera)
• help individuals recover from mental fatigue faster
• improve concentration & memory
• reduce stress (I can vouch for this one)
• lower blood pressure
• increase productivity
• help decrease anxiety levels
• promote feelings of relaxation, calmness, well-being
• help hospital patients recover faster and require less medication

Adding a few houseplants in your home or office can do wonders in boosting your health and well-being because they not only improve your mood but they also filter the air from harmful chemicals making it healthier to breathe. For more information about houseplants and air purification, please read:
Breathe Right, Breathe Easy

No doubt about it. Plants make people happy, improve their health and compliment the spaces they occupy. Even though it takes time and effort to develop a ‘green thumb’ (and I’ll agree that some plants are more challenging than others), the benefits greenery bestow on us makes it worthwhile. Grow houseplants in your home or office to reap the rewards attached to them. Care for them and in return they’ll care for you.

Plants are popular in our homes but it doesn’t end there. There are other places that they can be used for health reasons as well as aesthetical ones. I’ve included three ideal settings for plants out of many other possibilities.


Go Green In Your Office

Offices - especially the modern, tightly-sealed ones – typically offer little fresh air. Products that you use on the job also release plenty of pollutants. Introducing a few plants in your workspace can help improve the air quality around you by filtering and rejuvenating the oxygen you breathe.

But fresh air is not the only thing that you’ll benefit from by being surrounded by plants. Greenery will improve the look of any work environment that you spend hours in and make it feel more welcoming. Placing a plant on your desk or near you improves your mood, reduces stress and helps you to feel better physically and mentally. Some companies include plants in work areas because they know that a healthy attitude increases productivity and creativity.

Plants make other important contributions as well. They increase humidity, reduce the effects of noise and lessen dust. They add splashes of colour that help soften some of the harsh elements in daily life. The look and smell of greenery from plants growing around you make you feel less isolated in your workspace. They also invite you to interact with nature right there in your work area.

Choose low-maintenance, resilient plants that will take just about anything you throw at them, especially if the lighting situation is not optimum. Although there is no plant in the world that would volunteer for a dimly-lit location, there are plants that will tolerate inferior locations with minimal suffering. Some common houseplants that will perform reasonably well and adapt to low light include: Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen), Aspidistra Elatoir (Cast-Iron Plant), Epipremnum Aureum (Pothos), Sansevieria (Snake Plant), Chamaedorea Elegans (Parlor Palm), Dracaena (many cultivars), Dieffenbachia (many cultivars), Monstera Deliciosa (Split-Leaf Philodendron), Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Chlorophytum Comosum (Spider Plant), Hedera Helix (English Ivy), Syngonium Podophyllum (Arrowhead Vine).

If you’re eager to add plants that require better lighting, consider the ‘rotation’ shuffle to keep them thriving. Pick up two of the same plant, keep one at home in a perfect spot and take the other one to work with you. When the one at the office starts to look a little weary, take it home, bring its twin in and swap their spaces. Each plant will get a chance to rejuvenate every time it gets back to your home where there’s better light and humidity. The plants will enjoy their vacation in front of the ‘hot spot’ before they're rotated and your work area will be decorated with your preferred greenery. This shuffling of plants can come in handy anywhere you wish to grow plants, especially your home. I do this regularly in my home since the 'hot spots' for light and humidity are limited and not all my plants have a chance at them. Swapping positions once a month has become a blessing for some of my fussier flora.

For constantly alternating splashes of color, visit your local greenhouse from time to time and pick up some short-lived splendor or seasonal potted plants that you don’t mind discarding. There are beautiful options to choose from that have a short life span or are sold during festive times of the year as temporary visual delights. This makes them an ideal choice for work spaces and darker corners. Some attractive specimens include: Poinsettia, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Hyacinth, Primrose, Calceolaria, Lilium Longiflorum (Easter Lily), Tulip, Capsicum Annuum (Ornamental Pepper), Senecio x Hybridus (Cineraria), Kalanchoe, Narcissus, Exacum Affine (Persian Violet), Crocus and Solanum Pseudocapsicum (Jerusalem cherry).

(Note: Even though many flowering plants are discarded after their striking display has ended because they truly are temporary, some of them are not and can be encouraged to bloom again with proper care. In addition, a few of the plants (bulbs) above are supposed to be transferred to your outdoor garden in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Do your homework if you’re interested in hanging on to those that do have longer life spans to learn about their care requirements.)

Get some plants for your office and enjoy your work environment much more. It’s an inexpensive and highly effective way to brighten your workplace and improve your health and well-being.


Introduce Nature To Children - In Classrooms And At Home

What better way to teach children the concept of responsibility towards other living things than by bringing plants into the classroom or inside their homes. When children are young, they are eager to learn all about nature. The classroom and your home are the ideal places to start your kids on the road to growing plants.

A few fun things to do are to plant seeds, fruits or vegetables and watch them sprout. Rutabagas, turnips, parsnips and carrots are good vegetables to have fun with. Pineapple, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, mangoes, papayas and even apples have seeds that can be sown in small flats of potting soil. These are fun little projects that may not last forever - some are very short-lived - but it allows a child to use their instinctual nurturing abilities. It also creates a sense of wonder for the natural beauty around them.

Another interesting experience is to grow cooking herbs in your own home. This can include Rosemary, Mint, Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro, Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Chives, Savory, Garlic Chives, Mustard and Sage. There are indoor culinary herb garden kits available that include everything you need to get started. Depending on what you buy, the kit may contain seed mix, peat pellets or soil, growing instructions, plastic or terra cotta planters and even a recipe booklet.

All you need is a sunny windowsill or a bright location near a window. Grow the herbs in your child’s room or in your kitchen and let your little one handle most of the pampering – watering, misting and trimming. Within a few short weeks of getting started, you will have herb plants ready to be used. Your child can snip off leaves for tasty additions to salads, soups and many other meals that you can prepare together. Windowsill herb gardens are easy-to-grow and a great way to introduce children to gardening - and cooking!

If you're more interested in conventional houseplants for your child to nurture, below is a list of some of the plants least likely to cause health problems.

Prayer Plant (Maranta Leuconeura)
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)
Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans)
Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus Australis)
Kalanchoe
Christmas or Thanksgiving Cactus
African Violet (Saintpaulia)
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)

All of the above are more or less common and can be found at your local greenhouse, home improvement center, big-box store, supermarket or anywhere else plants are sold. There are many, many, many other plants that are considered non-toxic or relatively safe. Please visit this page for more information: Acceptable Indoor And Outdoor Plants
Remember that ANY plant may cause an allergic reaction to some people.

Cultivate your child’s curiosity about the wonders of nature and help them develop a love for it. They’ll enjoy the special time shared with you as you teach them about nurturing their plants, they’ll develop a green thumb that will stay with them for life and they may even grow up to be some of the best gardeners.


A Green Smile For The Elderly

Houseplants aren’t just for working people, children and gardening buffs, but also for the elderly whose lives are made far less lonely by having some plants to nurture. For those of you who do have a love for gardening – indoors or out – you know that there is something soul-gratifying about caring for plants in a pot.

Watching a flower bloom on a windowsill, inhaling the sweet perfume of a Gardenia, witnessing the uncurling of a new leaf or beaming with pride as baby side shoots sprout from your favourite plant are just a few of the pleasures of indoor gardening. For the elderly who live alone and lack companionship, whose frail health keeps them fairly restricted to the indoors (depriving them of the miracles of outdoor nature), caring for houseplants lifts boredom, provides a sense of pride and accomplishment, and keeps them connected to the world.

Some potted plants, a few seedlings sprouting, a cup of cuttings forming roots or a vase full of fresh cut flowers that needs daily water changes – all these links to nature need some tender loving care that an elderly person is usually more than willing to provide.

Everyone needs to feel needed, especially the elderly that may be living alone with very few - if any - visitors. Working with plants is an enriching experience that helps to build self-esteem and confidence. The look, touch and smell of plants is also highly effective in reducing anxiety and stress. This simple but obviously pleasurable hobby is beneficial physically and psychologically to our society’s senior citizens. Encouraging the elderly to participate in some hobbies such as gardening is especially beneficial to the ones living in retirement homes.

If you know any elderly people living alone or you’re an employee or volunteer in a retirement facility, why not present a plant to a senior and brighten up their day? Make things easier and bring in a hydroculture plant. All they’ll need to do is add some water every so often and watch their plant grow.



So an apple a day and a plant or two – or ten - should do the trick in keeping you healthy and happy.

Stay connected with plants and stay connected with nature. You’ll find comfort and joy in the beauty that surrounds you.

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