4 Reasons to Love Houseplants
By Genevieve Smith
You may have considered a horticulture hobby, but are afraid your brown thumb will only result in loss and leafy heartache. But from succulents to snake plants, kalanchoe to cacti, there are a variety of low maintenance, easy-to-care-for houseplants out there which will restore your faith in you and boost your spirits. If you’ve been on the fence about growing plants indoors, here are a few reasons why you should dig in.
Plants Keep Sick Days at Bay
Your little green babies will increase the humidity in the air. Before you worry how this will affect your summer months, consider this -- the Agriculture University of Norway has found a connection between houseplants and fewer breakouts of dry skin, dry coughs, sore throats and colds. Additional research has revealed that higher humidity creates a hostile environment for the survival and transmission of the flu virus. Neato!
They Amp Up the Air Quality
NASA has a special interest in discovering how to create the safest air for breathing in sealed environments. What they discovered is that plants remove trace amounts of toxic vapors from enclosed spaces. Their final recommendation is to place a potted plant every 100 square feet.
Fauna and Flora Speed Up Recovery Time
Being surrounded by plants post-surgery has a scientifically-grounded boost on your mood, which explains why it may have developed intuitively as a tradition. Patients with fauna within view were found to have lower ratings of fatigue, anxiety and pain, as well as lower systolic blood pressure, in contrast to their plant-less counterparts in a Kansas State University study.
They Optimize Work Mode
There are so many studies and findings as to how indoor and ornamental plants positively affect your work habits, that it’s hard to know where to begin. Ornamental plants have a dramatic impact in the realms of memory, productivity, and concentration. According to a University of Michigan study, plants in your study space can bolster memory retention by 20 percent, while Texas A&M revealed, “Work performed under the natural influence of ornamental plants is normally of higher quality and completed with a much higher accuracy rate than work done in environments devoid of nature.” Sold.
So fear not to take the steps to bring plants into your home and workspace! Find a link below for the easiest houseplants to grow, and feel free to live life to the fullest with your new green partners there to root you on.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.