Plants. ALL the plants.
Covid lockdowns prompted remote working worldwide. Google axed deals for urban office space. Twitter told employees they could work remotely forever. Our work cultures shifted. And what accompanied that trend? The influx of flora. Leathery, hairy, and shiny textures filled the rooms, corners and offices of homeowners and renters who brought more greenery into their daily lives.
Plants are grounding; they uplift our mood and our rooms. But do plants do more than just ground us? What I learned after much of 2020 and 2021 slowly becoming a plant hoarder is that plants do more than just grow–they force you to grow, as well.
With more of us working from home, we now use our spaces differently, so how we feel when we’re in them matters. Our home offices needed decorating, an upgrade, and plants. All the plants.
Plants bloomed in many households, and online plant stores and local retailers thrived while keeping up with the demand. My home office is bolstered by leaves, stems and shoots. What started as a few buds springing just above the surface of a ceramic pot eventually morphed into who I affectionately call Selma. I have to sweep her to the side in my zoom calls and sometimes let her locks grow wild and long enough that they dust the buttons of my keyboard. Every so often, I’ll turn one of her limbs into an impromptu mustache when I greet my work wife on slack video calls.
Like plants, humans need nutrients, some light, and attention to flourish and grow. And when we don’t? We keel over. So as the trend keeps climbing, what can we learn from our little plant friends?
Plants have good instincts.
Rosa, my crimson princess, a hoya plant that hangs from the ceiling in the northeast corner of our dining nook, inspires me. Although she struggled initially- and I watched her leaves fall to the ground, with a few adjustments, we got the light just right, and she’s since spread-eagled her vines all around her fancy planter pot. I looked up one day and saw the strokes of cotton candy, flamingo and fluorescent — her leaves were perfectly pink.
She wanted to make sh*t happen. I’ve watched her grow exponentially.
When you find the sweet spot, that place with the least resistance, you tap into a growth mindset.
Plants know how to own it.
You can’t help but stop and stare at Cally, my tropical treat from the Amazon. I spotted the colourfully patterned leaves of the Calathea on a trip to Costa Rica and, when I returned, searched for the one. She sits in our living room and looks like she could have been painted by the visual artist responsible for the print above her head with its colourful geometric forms. How can she look like a painting? The intricate linework and pinstripes on her leaves with dark maroon underneath remind us how ornate nature can be. Her leaves move around and change angles with the sun throughout the day like she’s dancing around, but she prefers to hang out in a quiet corner. Cally is an ambivert; being the center of attention is fun for her, but she doesn’t like it to last and retreats from the spotlight.
In a culture of standing out in the crowd, in a world that can’t stop talking, knowing when to lean towards what you need and finding quiet is a secret power.
Sharing your space with living plant life can make your environment a healthier place to hang. Plants can boost creativity, positivity and pleasure. And although plants may not share their wisdom outright, perhaps they probe at our subconscious and ultimately help us dig into ourselves a little more.
Our connection to nature and our affinity for plants are going nowhere. When we pay attention, we can witness our little friends adapting to change and celebrating growth — valuable life lessons to embody as the year continues to roll out.
