Cost of taking action: £/$/€ LOW or FREE
It might not seem, at first thought, that a few houseplants can make a difference to our environment, but in fact they can.
Please give this a go if you don’t already. You do not need a lot of space for a small pot and many plants, such as aloe vera, spider plants and the like are extremely easy to look after. In fact, some varieties are difficult to fail with and can become quite abundant, meaning you can split your plants and share them with others!
How does it help?
- keeping plants helps to keeping your home aired, they use CO2 and emit oxygen
- some varieties will remove pollutants
- nurturing plants can help you understand and appreciate the natural world
- nurturing plants can help children learn about nature and life cycles
- some plants bring health benefits such as improved sleep, reduced headaches and lower stress levels
- some can be used in medicine, such as the sap from aloe vera being used as a skin soother
- it is proven that plants can enhance mental health, ability to concentrate, and the quality of your work
- houseplants can bring a beautiful splash of colour into your home
- succeeding in growing and nurturing plants can bring great satisfaction
- they can trigger interest in other hobbies such as gardening, hiking in nature, and photography
Where to start
If you have no knowledge and experience, it’s best to start with something simple. A spider plant (pictured) is a great first plant, as they are very easy to maintain and will grow rapidly, and reproduce.
A visit to a garden centre means you can ask an expert about what to start with, the pots you need, which compost to use, feeding and watering, and so on. Or perhaps ask a friend or relative if you can start by taking a cutting from one of their plants and/or asking for their advice.
Take the opportunity to bring a little bit of nature into your home and enhance your environment in many ways.