It never really mattered to me whether an indoor plant was artificial or real until one time I found myself feeling so excited about getting back home from a trip just to see my plants. My thriving plants. I had missed them. Plant parenting is what they call it.
While artificial plants make sense because of obvious reasons like they will never die on you and require minimal care- all you need is give them a wipe every now and then- and cost less to maintain. They do not compare to having real plants which have life in them and even have some scientifically proven health and well-being benefits.
For example , have you ever watered your real plants and all of a sudden the room smelled like wet earth on a rainy day? Or the joy you feel when a new leaf starts poking through and it’s so new and fresh that it reminds you of life and birthdays? Indoor gardening is such an enjoyable yet fulfilling hobby.
Just knowing that you possess some skills that can keep plants alive, and that you have been blessed with the green thumb is a sure enough sign that you would naturally prefer real plants to artificial ones. So let’s delve deeper and see how real indoor houseplants can be beneficial for your health.
- Working with plants can be therapeutic
If you are an individual experiencing symptoms of mental illness, it would be wise to try your hand at indoor gardening. This is because researchers are using horticultural therapy to increase feelings of well-being among people with depression, anxiety and other mental conditions.
Did you now that medical clinics in Manchester, England are now prescribing potted plants to patients with depression or anxiety symptoms?
2. Plants may boost your productivity
Studies have found that plants in the workspace increase both productivity and creativity. A 2007 study found that people with more plants in their workspace took fewer sick days and were more productive on the job.
3.Plants may improve your outlook on work
So your office has a beautiful view of the city park? Good for you! But if your office faces a boring wall and you don’t have the luxury of beautiful views, get some potted plants as these will give the same effect of being satisfied in your workplace. Researchers have said that natural elements help buffer the effects of job stress and anxiety.
4.They may help reduce stress levels
A study found out that real plants in your office or home can make you feel more comfortable, soothed and like you are in a natural environment. Research has found that working with plants could reduce both physiological and psychological stress.
5.Real plants may sharpen your attention
In a study involving 23 participants, researchers put students in a classroom with either a real plant, a fake plant, a photograph of a plant and one with no plant at all. The brain scans of the participants showed that the students who studied with real, live plants in the classroom were more attentive and better able to concentrate than students in all the other classrooms.
- Plants may improve the quality of indoor air
The Rubber tree, peace lily, spider plant and Ficus tree are just some of the plants you may consider getting if you aim to have air in your space purified naturally. Recent findings suggest that you’d have to shelter a large number of plants to equal the air purifying efficiency of modern bio filters and other technologies.
7.Plants may help you recover from illness faster
Just looking at beautiful plants and flowers may help speed up your recovery from an illness or injury or even surgery. This is very possible especially when recuperating in hospital and your view is of beautiful lush greenery.
Now that you have all this information, will you still go for the more durable faux plants used mainly just for decoration or the real health and well-being beneficial real ones? If you choose the latter, remember to choose plant varieties that are safe for pets and children as there are some plants that are toxic and could cause harm.
