Plants are trending all over social media right now. Just search for the “plantmom” hashtag on Instagram, and you’ll see thousands of indoor plant photos and plantmom selfies. According to the 2019 National Gardening Survey, gardeners spent $52.3 billion on lawn and garden retail sales last year. Surprisingly, a quarter of that spending was done by 18-34 year olds!
I admit it, I’m part of this trending plantmom obsession. Over the last 2 years, I’ve acquired over 35 indoor houseplants in my 1 bedroom apartment. For me, this isn’t just a fad; it all started with a housewarming gift I received in 2017, a sansevieria, AKA snake plant, and I immediately fell in love and wanted more.
With my first plant, I was watering it daily, having absolutely no idea what I was doing. After a few months, I noticed it wasn’t growing or changing. I decided to join a plant group on Facebook to ask for advice. It turns out, these plants don’t need to be watered daily. They prefer to be watered when the dirt is mostly dry. I was shocked, as I thought all plants needed water, and a lot of it!
I acquired another plant that same year, and started doing more research. I looked into which plants are best for first timers, which ones are hard to kill, and how often plants need to be watered, fed, and fertilized. Fast forward to 2020, and here I am with over 35 plants in my apartment!
I spend time with my plants everyday. Whether it’s taking the time to water them in the morning, trim them, move them around different spaces in my apartment, repotting them, or just admiring them from my couch, my plants bring me a lot of joy and happiness, and give me a sense of accomplishment.
As it turns out, plants have many added benefits aside from just looking trendy.
- Plants can reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue
- Purify the air
- Help with breathing
- Boost healing
- Help deter illness
- Increase productivity
- Boost your mental well-being
- Make a room more comfortable
- Give you a sense of accomplishment
As much as I love the plant life, it does take time, dedication, responsibility, and research. I’ve had my fair share of fungus gnats, overwatering, sunburn, wilted leaves, spider mites, and even death…. but with those, I’ve learned a lot, including patience and having more gratitude in my life.
I now belong to multiple plant groups on Facebook, and I’ve created my own Instagram account, @wearingnoplantsinkenosha, to document my newest hobby that I’m crazy about. I continue to research and learn about plants daily, and I follow others on social media to see how their involved in the plant lifestyle.
Not only does the greenery in my apartment make me happier, but it’s also given me knowledge and connections with people that I didn’t have before. I’m looking forward to growing my collection, and eventually joining a plant swap- a forum for swapping out plants with fellow gardeners. Plant swapping is its own community, where people can share seeds, cuttings, and transplants from their outdoor gardens or indoor houseplants.
Are you a plant lover? Please share your experience in the comments below! And don’t forget to follow my plant Instagram, @wearingnoplantsinkenosha, and my photography blog of the community I live in, @takingonkenosha.