A “plant parent” is like having a green thumb but taken to the next level. Think about how one would care for a child. Think of all the time, care, and effort put into that. That is what being a plant parent is like. It is not just watering a plant every day. It is researching on different plant personalities, providing for its needs, noticing if there is any disease, etc.
With quarantine still in effect, plant parents are continually proliferating. This phenomenon can go so far as making an indoor jungle. For plant parents, greenery cannot be stopped. Aside from indoors, they can fill their lawns, and if a green roof is an option, they’ll be calling residential roofing services without batting an eye.
Millennials as the wellness generation
Millennials are known for so many things, but one thing that they care about the most is wellness. According to a study that dives into what millennials value in their lives, health and wellness ranked second at 53 percent. Incidentally, career ranked bottom with 27 percent.
As a result, they’re known to go from one job to another. For them, work-life balance and free time are their priorities when it comes to their careers. 41 percent and 36 percent of millennials think this way, respectively.
Millennials’ focus on wellness can be seen in so many ways, including their love for expensive water bottles. Millennials are big water drinkers, compared to previous generations. They are willing to spend money on athleisure as well.
How does this translate to gardening?
Gardening is known to have positive effects on mental health. According to a survey, 42 percent of respondents found that plants have helped their mental health. In another study, participants preferred gardening over working on a word processor. They claim that gardening is more calming and soothing.
In addition to these benefits, psychologists say that being surround by plants increases productivity and improves job satisfaction. Tending to plants also reduces stress levels because the activity “suppress[es] sympathetic activity, which often increases when a subject is exposed to a stressor.” While people are facing the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, gardening is a great, socially-distant way to soothe and calm people down.
How can you start being a plant parent?
- Research. Every plant has different needs. Some might need more sun but less water while some might need less sun and less water. These needs are not exactly on the same level, too, so reading up on specific plant care helps the survival rate of your plant.
- Choose the right pot and soil. The soil provides the minerals that the plant needs. Along with this, the pot should give enough room for the roots to spread and the plant to grow.
- Do not overwater. A common mistake of new plant parents is getting too excited that they tend to overwater their plants. Overwatering leads to root rot, which occurs when the roots do not have enough oxygen and remain wet all the time.
The joy of taking care of something so peaceful at the corner of the room may be the driving force for plant parents. Like parenting a child, gardening gives the same satisfaction of watching the plant grow and giving it the attention that it needs.
