Of course plants can make your home more inviting and beautiful, but here are just some of their health benefits. According to Jabeen Begum, MD and WebMD your houseplants can change the way you feel both physically and emotionally.
1) Better Sleep
You remember photosynthesis from school. By using sunlight as food, plants take in carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. Several plants continue to give off oxygen even after the sun has gone down. This added oxygen in your bedroom could help you sleep more soundly.
Recommended plant: Gerbera Daisies.
2) Regulate Moisture
House plants add moisture to the air. Our HVAC units dry out our home’s air humidity. That can not only irritate your skin, but it also raises your chances to catch a cold or the flu. One study found a collection of spider plants boosted the humidity in a bedroom from 20% to a more comfortable 30%.
Recommended plant: Spider Plant
3) Skin First Aid
You probably know about aloe. Along with being a beautiful plant, the gel inside this plant aids in sunburn and other minor burns. It also aids psoriasis and other skin conditions. And the juice can aid with constipation.
Recommended plant: Aloe
4) Air Purification
Many indoor objects give off pollutants, like paint, cleaners, and carpets. House plants can absorb these pollutants.
Recommended plant: English Ivy, Asparagus Fern, or Dragon Tree
5) Stress Relief
Several studies have found that when measuring heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol, the people who performed a tough task in the presence of plants experienced more calming effects.
Recommended plant: Heart-leaf Philodendron or Snake Plant
6) Sharper Focus
Did you know plants may be able to help you concentrate? Students in classrooms with three potted plants performed better on math, spelling, reading, and science tests than kids in classrooms without any plants.
Recommended plant: Golden Pothos or Bamboo Palm
7) Faster Healing
That plant you bring to a friend in the hospital may just help them heal faster. Researchers found that people who had surgery got better faster if they had plants in their room or even a view, of the nature from their window.
Recommended plant: Orchid or Peace Lily
8) Better Mental & Emotional Health
Learning to nurture a plant has shown to relieve stress and help with depression. Gardening has been used by therapists to treat psychiatric conditions. Plants have also been shown to aid in the recovery from trauma and dementia.
Some of my Christen's favorite places to buy plants:
1. Sweet Peas Garden Shop in Homewood
They carry a wide-range of plants you may not find anywhere else.
2. Oak Street Garden Shop in Crestline
They have a beautiful assortment of ferns, orchids, and outdoor plants, herbs, and vegetable garden gems.
3. Hanna’s Garden Shop
For outdoor flowers, plants, trees, and gardening vegetables.
4. Davis Wholesale Florist
When hosting an event or gathering fresh flowers for a friend this is the one stop shop for arranging something spectacular.
5. Leaf and Petal
They have more than one location making it convenient to shop from most areas of town.
