You’ve heard it before, and we’ll say it again: plants are good for you.
Plants have been found to improve mental health and cognitive function, and can even boost concentration and productivity by up to 15 per cent.
Gardening can reduce behavioural problems and increase self-esteem, and has been found to even aid in addiction recovery and dementia prevention.
“Tending to a garden or potted plants can reduce mental fatigue and feelings of stress,” says horticultural therapist Toni Salter.
“Seeing seeds we have sown germinate, or watching plants we’ve grown begin to flower and harvest home grown vegetables gives us a great sense of gratification and feelings of success. This can help improve our self esteem, give us hope and develop a more positive outlook ahead.”
People are also subconsciously more likely to choose to live in an area with more greenery.
Trees also help reduce heat caused by all those concrete buildings in urban areas, and their roots reduce pollution by sucking up stormwater.
Charlie Albone of Better Homes & Gardens is the new ambassador to Greener Spaces Better Places.
Plant Life Balance recently announced a rebranding of Greener Spaces Better Places with a new vision and mission for 2022, enlisting ambassador Charlie Albone of Better Homes & Gardens to help bring consumers into the fold under one brand, as Australians are spending more time at home and in their gardens due to voluntary (and involuntary) lockdowns and social distancing.
We are proud to have Greener Spaces Better Places as one of our Greenlisters, incorporating green spaces into our sustainable built environment.
“There’s a green thumb in us all, and we’re seeing this now more than ever as people turn to gardening,” said Mr Albone.
According to new statistics from Greener Spaces Better Places, 44.2 per cent of Australians believe the pandemic has made them more aware of the importance of nature in their family’s lives.
In 2021 the sales of herb and vegetable plants in Australia increased by 27 per cent.
Caring for edible plants helps us to understand and appreciate where our food comes from, especially in a city environment.
Basil is one of the easiest plants to grow, according to Greener Spaces Better Places.
How to pick your perfect plant
Just two plants in the home can improve air quality by 75 per cent by absorbing airborne pollutants, and five plants can increase mental wellbeing by 50 per cent, according to research from RMIT.
Certain species and sizes of plants are much more effective than others.
According to Greener Spaces Better Places, the easiest plants to grow include:
- aniseed myrtle
- bird of paradise
- black knight
- crepe myrtle
- basil (although from my experience I personally would disagree with that one!)
You can see Greener Spaces Better Places’ guide to finding your perfect plant here: click here (filtered by indoor or outdoor plant and difficulty level).
