Why Becoming a Plant Mom is the Best Decision You Can Make This Year

As a life-long media lover, GROWN Editor in Chief, Naomi…

First things first, this article is for everyone! If you’ve had a plant, haven’t had a plant, have killed a few plants, or just generally haven’t delved into the plant world – I got you! Fortunately for us all, plants range in price, size, and temperament, making them super accessible and easy to get into. This year has revealed *whispers* “Gardening isn’t just for old people;” it actually has many benefits for our millennial selves.

The truth is, owning a plant has a million and one benefits. On a scientific level, plants improve the quality of air, reduce stress levels, and they’re known to boost productivity. On a practical level, whether you’re renting an apartment, staying with family, or are fortunate enough to own property, a plant is an easy way to personalize and brighten up a space. Plants are versatile in that they can be low maintenance decor, or a life-changing practice in which you both grow.

Today, I want to highlight the ways a plant can enhance your life, and throw out a few helpful resources to start your plant journey:

Plants are Not as High-Maintenance as You Think
There are a few exceptions, but generally plants need watering once a day. In this case, being a plant mom teaches commitment and positive habit-making; you’ll have a chance to nourish and invest in your garden’s wellbeing on a daily basis. Once you have a daily practice of watering your plant, it’s easy to add other daily habits to that list – like meditation, daily affirmations, yoga, prayer, or even just simple breathing exercises. In this way, being a plant mom is the gateway to living a more engaged and intentional life.

Plants Allow Self Expression
Another way plants can be of great assistance, is by helping you to express yourself. That may seem miniscule, but there’s something very powerful about seeing plants that you’ve hand-chosen, enriching your space. You might be a colored cactus person, or a jade plant kinda girl, maybe you like the swiss cheese plant, or the zanzibar gem. Maybe you’re someone with the patience required for flowers, which bloom and die in their cyclical life. Tending to flowers teaches a specific lesson about appreciating things when they’re in full bloom and when they’re not. Going through the inevitable death of your flowers can in some ways prepare you for the inevitables you’ll encounter in life.

Plants Love Music Too
Now, another fun benefit of having plants is that whether you’re a grammy award winner or a karaoke queen, plants enjoy being on the receiving end of music. This means you can serenade your garden or just blast some music for your typical twerk/dance parties and your plants will benefit from it just as much as you will! (Sidenote: if you don’t already have dance parties or twerk parties on a solo basis – please do! Thanks, Management).

Plant Care Leads to Self-Care
Once you’re incorporating music into your plant routine, you’ll find that the mood booster is mutual for both you and the plants. Not only that, if you choose to go the old-fashioned way and sing to your plants, you’re exercising your voice in a powerful and loving way. Let this practice be a reminder that your voice is one of the best ways to express yourself, your love, and your brilliance. You can grow your confidence by speaking out loud in a handful of ways — you can speak affirmations into a mirror, practice work presentations out loud, or run through important conversations before they take place. In some cases, you can even just scream into a pillow and that’s a productive way to use your voice, release tension, and feel free.

Plants Nurture Discernment
Two final reasons why becoming a plant mom (or dad) can be one of the best decisions you make this year, are that they teach you when to be grounded and when to let go. In life, just as with our plants, we need to know when it’s time to pull the plug on something versus when it’s time to dig in deeper. We rely on our discernment to make those close calls in our careers, relationships, dietary lives, and so much more. It can be painful, but often necessary to move on from situations or people that cause you harm. In that same sense, plants will teach you when a problem is fixable, like buying richer soil, adding more water, or giving less sunlight. It will also be clear when the plant can’t be saved, like a pest infestation or some other irreversible plant damage.

Simply put – plants are the gifts that keep giving! Hopefully by this point, you feel convinced that you should start, or grow your garden ASAP. It’s time to treat yourself or someone you love to a plant or two; be unapologetic in the purchase because in essence, it’s an investment in yourself. Here are 8 Black Owned Businesses, in various locations to get you started (for curbside pickup or nationwide shipping)! Enjoy!!

Leaf Me Plant Boutique – Detroit, MI