While you may not associate lush greenery with the winter months, incorporating plants into your home can beautify your space and help combat the winter blues. A variety of indoor plants thrive during the winter months and can provide color in your home during an otherwise dreary time of year.
Dr. Charlie Hall, professor and Ellison Chair in International Floriculture in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, has conducted research on the health benefits of plants and nature. Hall said plants can improve your quality of life, and should be perceived as a necessity due to the range of positive physical and mental impacts plants have on humans.
How Plants Impact The Mind And Body
Adding plants in your home this winter will not only create a beautiful space to avoid the cold elements, but surrounding yourself with plants can provide positive stimulation. Hall said this positive effect can be compared to the happy emotions one feels when interacting with a dog or cat. These actions trigger the same responses in our brains when we are around plants.
“Biophilia is the innate love of living things, both animals and plants,” Hall said. “There is a positive impact on the brain whenever there is a number of biophilic stimuli, such as plants, in the area.”
Greenery Can Have A Positive Influence
Shorter days and colder temperatures keep people inside their homes for long periods of time, and many people feel as if their moods are affected by the winter season. Plants can help boost our mood, Hall said.
Hall said nature and being around house plants can help lower cortisol, the stress hormone. He has alsopublished articlesreviewing the benefits of plants, including enhanced memory retention, reduced effects of dementia and greater life satisfaction.
“It’s amazing that just having plants in your home can have such a measurable impact on stress reduction,” Hall said. “Being in nature, going for walks in a park or going camping in a national forest provides an increased level of this impact, but we know that we can help reduce stress daily by bringing nature to us with plants in our home.”
Low-Maintenance House Plants
Whether you’re a beginner at caring for indoor plants or you struggle to keep plants alive in the winter, there are plenty of good options for low-maintenance plants that will brighten up your space.
Succulents are a common low-maintenance plant that can sustain a variety of temperatures and can survive well indoors if kept away from drafts in a brighter area of your home. Philodendron can also survive the cold weather when brought indoors, with an ideal temperature of 75-85 degrees.
Hall said pothos and dracaenas are go-to low maintenance houseplants and added that poinsettias and Easter lilies are also good seasonal choices for the winter. To enhance your outdoor space, you canplant cool-season annuals.
“All of these plants are adept at creating these responses, and they are relatively easy to take care of,” Hall said.
When finding the right spot for your plants around the house, its best to keep them away from any drafty areas. Placing a plant near a heating vent can dry the plant out and shorten the plant’s life.
Hall said even if you find that you struggle to keep plants alive, don’t let that deter you from purchasing a house plant this winter. Plants can still provide a range of benefits, no matter how long they last.
Plants can help boost our mood, Hall said. Hall said nature and being around house plants can help lower cortisol, the stress hormone. He has also published articles reviewing the benefits of plants, including enhanced memory retention, reduced effects of dementia and greater life satisfaction.
Studies have consistently shown that caring for plants improves focus, lowers stress levels, keeps the mind from indulging in negative thought patterns, and even helps people recover more quickly from illness.
House plants are a great way to take a break from technology and the constant checking of work emails and scrolling through social media. Even if it's just for a few minutes a day, watering or planting forces you to focus on something that isn't on a screen – and isn't a jealousy-inducing post by a friend on holiday.
Not only do indoor plants enhance the overall appearance of a space, but studies show they boost moods, increase creativity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants—making for a healthier, happier you. Indoor plants don't just look good—they can make us feel good, too.
Plants also replace carbon dioxide with fresh oxygen. According to a 1989 NASA study, houseplants can help improve air quality by removing cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Another study found that the soil in potted plants can also help clean indoor air.
Lavender is renowned for its richly fragrant flowers and aromatic foliage. This easy-to-grow shrub is best planted in spring, thrives in a sunny spot and flowers in late spring and summer. This is a plant that is always at the top of the list as a natural anxiety buster.
The unofficial motto of the plant-loving community is “plants make people happy.” It's true: In one experiment, people who spent five to 10 minutes in a room with a few houseplants felt happier than those in a plant-free room.
The word is sometimes said to be synonymous with "botanist" or "horticulturist", but that would indicate a professional involvement, whereas "plantsman" reflects an attitude to (and perhaps even an obsession with) plants. A horticulturist may be a plantsman, but a plantsman is not necessarily a horticulturist.
Indoor plants can benefit people with ADHD by reducing stress and improving mood and concentration. Some houseplant tips for ADHDers include starting with low-maintenance plants and using systems to simplify care routines.
Houseplants have many benefits for wellness and mental health, which appeals to millennials. They help purify the air and release oxygen, creating a healthier indoor environment. Caring for houseplants can provide a sense of accomplishment and nurturing, reducing stress and anxiety.
Adding plants to interior spaces can increase oxygen levels.At night, photosynthesis ceases, and plants typically respire like humans, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. A few plants –orchids, succulents and epiphytic bromeliads –do just the opposite, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Indoor growing also requires more attention and maintenance. Since you have control over the environment, you need to closely monitor factors such as temperature, humidity, and lighting to ensure optimal conditions for your plants. This can be time-consuming and may require a steep learning curve for beginners.
Plants that release oxygen at night include a huge number of species; releasing oxygen during the night is part of the daily photosynthesis-respiration cycle undergone by most plant species.
In a recent 2019 study, it was proven that comfort and positive emotions increased the longer the subjects spent in the presence of plants — especially purple and green plants. They've even been shown to increase self-esteem.
Truth be told, many plants release carbon dioxide at night. But there's nothing to worry about. Really really small amounts of carbon dioxide won't be a problem for humans. A few plants will never produce enough to be harmful, maybe unless you are sleeping in some sort of a jungle… Plus, it's all about plant selection.
Plant foods are high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, which generally help to repair damage and decrease inflammation in brain cells. In addition, plant foods can help restore balance to neurotransmitters. Many people suffering from depression have elevated levels of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO).
Real plants do often provide filtration when it comes to the air that we breathe and artificial plants won't do that. However, research has found that in terms of wellbeing benefits such as improving mood and morale, as well as productivity and focus, artificial plants really work.
Having an indoor house plant can help with pandemic loneliness. If your plants grow, it can instill a sense of satisfaction. There are low-maintenance plants available if you're new to plant parenthood.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
