Welcome to My Indoor Jungle

How houseplants bring nature indoors to support mental wellness

My indoor jungle

I frequently ask my therapy clients about their hobbies. My clients, being the wise (usually women) that they are, often respond with something like, “Well, you are a working mom with young kids. What are your hobbies?” There is an implied, emphatic, accusatory “Hmm???” attached to this question.

For a long time, they were not wrong. For most of my early adulthood, I had no hobbies. I liked to read for fun and take care of my pets, but admittedly even those activities had been neglected in motherhood.

Then in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic sent us all home. Many of us found ourselves a bit stir-crazy, anxious, and isolated from our typical activities and people. It was in this unlikely landscape that my fondness for houseplants blossomed into a full-blown obsession. My hobby was realized. And surprisingly, it has stuck.

Even more surprisingly, I was not alone. Houseplant sales increased dramatically during the pandemic. Social media introduced us to plant-fluencers, who shared knowledge and the promise of beautiful indoor havens of pothos vines and oversized monsteras. Small businesses popped up online, willing to painstakingly package and ship hard-to-find specimens. Hobbyists created local Facebook groups to sell, trade, and swap advice.

The mental health benefits of time in nature are well-documented. Time spent in nature is correlated with better self-reported well-being and happiness, less stress, and even improved cognitive performance (like attention and memory). Even something as simple as taking a walk near a body of water, rather than in a more urban space, seems to have a positive impact on mood.

Researchers are working to better understand the mechanisms that explain these observations. How and why does nature improve mental wellness? For example, one study found that a walk in nature was associated with significantly less rumination as compared to a walk in urban areas. Rumination is a pattern of repetitive and often self-focused thinking. It’s what you are doing when you mull over the same worries or negative thoughts, with no productive action or outcome. It is a way of thinking that is associated with anxiety and depression, and although we can learn to take control of rumination, it can be a challenge. Nature helps us get out of our head.

This positive effect seems to be present even when we bring nature indoors, as evidenced by studies looking at the impact of indoor greenery or the ability to see nature from the window.

Scindapsus treubii moonlight

Keeping houseplants has certainly helped me create beautiful, nature-themed spaces in my home. Minimalists may be alarmed, but I have always felt more at home surrounded by things that bring me joy (and clutter). But it is more than just something pretty to look at. I have loved learning about plant species and how they grow best. I have connected with folks locally through a shared love of plants via social media. I have learned the science of propagation, which allows me to grow new plants from cuttings, that I tend to share with others. I know all the plant nurseries within an hour drive of my home, and especially appreciate the ones with indoor greenhouses that I can escape to for a winter visit. And that is how my initial plant purchases turned into my much-needed hobby.

Caring for plants helped me challenge perfectionism and learn to take joy from the process, not just the product. Nothing about gardening or plant care is speedy, a welcome opportunity to slow down in our world that prizes instant gratification. Initially I boasted about my large and thriving plant-babies, but inevitably, I had my share of losses. Plants wither or die, I fight endless battles with planty pests, and I am constantly re-arranging my collection to make the most of the changing light levels or to out-wit my curious cats.

I still get upset sometimes when I accidentally neglect a particularly beloved plant, resulting in the loss of leaves that can never be regrown. Or, like recently, the cats break off a particularly large limb of a jade plant that is hard to find at this size.

At the same time, I have learned to respect that process of decay and re-growth. Oftentimes, I can create new growth just by placing a small cutting in water for a few weeks. It can be added back to the original pot or become its own individual.

Plants, like people, have everything inside them that they need to thrive and meet their potential. They are resilient. Although some are notoriously challenging to keep alive (I’m looking at you calatheas) we have to remember that they were not intended to grow in our homes, with barely-there sunlight, recycled dirt, and climate-controlled atmosphere. The fact that so many of them adapt and thrive is truly a feat.

It snowed over the weekend, and it has been particularly cold each morning this week. But the afternoons are starting to warm. Today, I found these adorable blooms on my hoya. I love their delicate beauty and I swear they smell just like strawberries! I was surprised to see anything blooming so soon, but the plants know things that I hardly detect, like the slow lengthening of the days. It is a much-needed reminder that spring is coming. And ever since I have created my little indoor jungle, winter has not seemed quite so long.

Isn’t she precious? Hoya burtoniae

Writing this article reminded me of one of my favorite garden-inspired analogies for mental health. I first heard this in a training course several years ago, discussing why some individuals develop more serious and debilitating emotional and behavioral difficulties, which can often be explained as a combination of both nature and nurture. This metaphor is written for parents struggling with difficult children, but you may find it describes you personally as well. It goes like this (this is my interpretation):

Children are like plants. Some are naturally easy-going and flexible. They adapt easily and tend to thrive wherever they are planted. These kids are like dandelions, you can’t get rid of them even if you wanted to! Other kids are more sensitive and fussier. They crave specific conditions and throw a fit at the slightest change. These children are more like orchids; orchids wilt if you even look at them wrong. It makes sense that you have been struggling with your little orchid, most of us are used to dandelions. But you can learn to be a better gardener for an orchid! And when you are exhausted and feeling defeated, and maybe wishing your child was easier, remember what type of plants we tend to admire and bring into our homes? The orchids. With the proper conditions, they bring much needed beauty and sensitivity to our world.

The world needs a good balance of dandelions and orchids, wouldn’t you say?

Are you a fellow houseplant enthusiast? Or do you prefer outdoor gardening? Some questions to consider, feel free to join me in the comments!

1. The most important question: What are your favorite houseplants?

2. Are you a dandelion or an orchid? How does nature support your mental health?

3. What are your favorite nature or garden-inspired metaphors, analogies, or poems?

4. Any plant inspired book recommendations for me? I have this one on my TBR: Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask by Mary Siisip Geniusz

Resources:

In my houseplant journey, I only ordered one book, The New Houseplant Parent by Darryl Cheng.

I have learned so much from following House Plus Plant on Instagram. She is so generous with her knowledge and is always happy to answer questions!

If you enjoyed this article, please like, share, or comment. This helps more people see my work. As always, thank you so much for stopping by.