Planned plant parenthood... now's the time to nurture some plant babies
As we are all spending a lot more time indoors right now, it’s the perfect time to become a proud plant parent and spend time (we all got a lot of it) nurturing some plant babies. Not only will a couple of indoor plants brighten up your space with much-needed greenery, but they also offer lots of mental health benefits.
Image credit: Canopy Plants
Houseplants have been proven to boost mood, relaxation and creativity, not to mention their newfound popularity on Instagram, with hundreds of accounts dedicated to monstera and macrame hanging planters, a few plants is the perfect way to frame an insta snap.
This love of houseplants amongst the younger generation has led to online plant shops like Canopy Plants who offer a next day delivery service on a wide variety of houseplants and stylish ceramic pots.
Owner, Saskia Tompsett, 28 who runs Canopy Plants out of a studio in Peckham grew up on a farm surrounded by greenery. When she was 18 Saskia moved to Peckham - after a few years living in the city she says ‘I sort of took nature for granted and it wasn’t until I’d lived in the city for a few years that I started to realise how important plants and greenery are to our health and wellbeing. I really missed the greeny of my childhood and teenage years’.
Whilst growing her own vegetables and plants on her Lonon balcony Saskia came up with the idea to set up a house plant delivery service to bring ‘plants to the people’ across the UK ‘so people who don’t or can’t live in nature can bring nature into their homes’ says Saskia.
Saskia owner of Canopy plants gives us the low down on why plants are the perfect companion right now:
Written by Saskia Tompsett
Saskia owner Canopy Plants. Image credit: Canopy Plants
Having house plants is rewarding and that is great for your mental health! There is nothing more joyful than your plant baby unfurling a new leaf and growing thanks to your love and care.
All plants have different care needs and learning how to care for each specific plant is an enjoyable challenge, a cactus or succulent is very different to an Asparagus Fern. All our plants come with a printed care card for those specific plant’s needs, to help you learn the ropes, so you can sit back and admire the plant you have helped to grow! If you aren’t quite ready for a dog or a cat, a plant is a great way to enjoy caring for something without too much pressure or responsibility, but with tons of rewards!
Having plants in your home can boost your mood as well as make you more productive. Seeing greenery in the home can make you feel more relaxed and studies in America have shown that plants in the home or workplace can improve concentrate by up to 15%, this is why more and more employers are factoring in greenery to offices and workspaces and it is definitely something you should think about if you are working from home more than usual.
Image credit: Canopy Plants
Plants improve the air quality in our homes, which is so important in the city! As plants photosynthesize they produce oxygen and they can also absorb harmful toxins in the air that can come from traffic fumes and other pollutants. Having plants in the home can also reduce colds and headaches because they help regulate humidity. NASA studies recommend you have between 15 and 20 plants in your home to fully benefit from their purifying effects. Here are our top air-purifying plants!
Finally, plants are beautiful, they come in all shapes and sizes, colours and textures and they truly can transform a room. It’s so interesting to see how fashion, style and trends borrow from nature like the spots of the Begonia Maculata or the pinstripes of the Calathea Ornata. Whether you are a one plant kind of person or just a few plants short of a jungle, hopefully having some greenery in your home can lift your mood in these uncertain times.
Canopy Plants offers a next day delivery service on a wide variety of houseplants and stylish ceramic pots. We are focused on sustainability and do not use any single-use plastic and only use FSC card and paper in our packaging, so it’s 100% recyclable. We offer plant subscriptions, gift cards as well as plant plans for workplaces and plant rental for photoshoots and events.
For more tips and advice on plant care have a look at the plant care page on our website.