Elisabeth Martin, Campus Carrier Features Editor
10 reasons why everyone should have a houseplant:
1) A houseplant is not a fish, or a dog or a cat for that matter. It is not a breathing animal that you have to worry about. It is something you can take care of without the stress of accidentally neglecting it. You will never have to leave social gatherings to go take care of it, and you’ll never have to take it to the vet. It’s low maintenance.
2) Unlike people, a plant will tell you exactly what it needs if you’re paying attention. You will always know what your plant needs based on how it looks, how fast it grows or what color it is.
3) When you have a plant for a long time, you will get to see how it has grown and progressed. It grows and changes as you do, and one day you will be able to look back and remember how small your plant used to be and how far it has come.
4) Plants are a great way to decorate and add life to any windowsill, desk or shelf. They always change, so you will not get tired of looking at it, unlike some artwork or photos. If it’s somewhere you see every day, you will get to watch new leaves uncurl gradually (and as nerdy as that is, it’s also pretty neat.)
5) Adding plants to your room can help the room feel less suffocating on days where you are stuck inside all day working. If you cannot be outside, you should at least bring some of the outside in.
6) If you are doing a great job keeping a plant alive, you are probably doing great too. Many therapists recommend for people to get a plant because taking care of something can be really rewarding. Even if you did not get very much accomplished today, if your plant is alive, the day is not a waste.
7) People love looking at plants, and people always admire other people who can keep plants alive. Chances are, people will compliment your plant parent skills when they see your plants. Who doesn’t love a good compliment?
8) Once you get familiar with different kinds of houseplants and you grow attached to your plant, you’ll get to geek about plants with other plant parents when you meet them. There’s a strange and enthusiastic community surrounding plant parenthood these days, and a huge Instagram culture around it too.
9) Plants are something to focus on that isn’t a screen or an assignment, and they don’t require much thought. Taking care of a plant is really simple. If your plant is not doing well, it either needs more water, less water, more sun, less sun, repotting, or fertilizer. Those are pretty much the only options.
10) Collecting and taking care of plants is an inexpensive hobby that can endure throughout your life. Simple houseplants are easy to find in stores, and you might even get a wishlist going that makes the hunt for new plants exciting.
If these reasons have not convinced you, I encourage you to just give it a try. Take a leaf of faith.