We’ve all learned something over the last year or so, and one of the few positives has been an increased connection with nature. Whether it was on our daily walk, taking time out in our gardens and allotments or, increasingly, with houseplants in our homes, we’ve used this time to nurture and to notice, to pause and to tend.
Houseplants have been one of lockdown’s few winners, as people of all generations sought to bring nature indoors. Research has shown that houseplants improve mood (in fact, caring for plants triggers a neurological reward system, releasing chemicals that increase relaxation and ease anxiety). Additionally, studies indicate that houseplants boost concentration and generosity in office settings, and speed recovery time in hospital settings too.
It’s no wonder then that in troubled times we’ve sought the balm of indoor plants, embraced them for their therapeutic properties and filled our homes with them. But now we’ve got them – and some of us have, ahem, dozens – do we know how to care for them?