Houseplant Heaven

When I was fourteen years old, I purchased my first houseplant: a small bonsai tree that I loved with all my heart. I have always admired bonsai trees, which spurred my desire for one even more. I was so mesmerized by how they looked like a full size tree, yet they were so small. Something about the twisted branches; small, elegant leaves; and smooth pebbles along the roots inspired the definition of serenity. Every time I would look at my bonsai tree, I felt as though I was swept away to a lakeside trail in Japan. A babbling brook gossiped to the animals in the nearby brush, whilst I was resting under the shade with the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the tree. I took my bonsai home, bought the proper fertilizer, and placed it in its new home on my sunny bedroom windowsill. Finally, I had the houseplant of my dreams. 

Not much later, I killed it. I was so angry. I did everything right! Everything the care kit said to do I did to the letter, but it still died. From that day on I refused to keep another bonsai tree, let alone any other sort of houseplant. 

Fast forward three years, I’m seventeen. I went to an art festival and they were selling succulents. I saw succulents before and had a lot of fake ones so I was curious how to take care of them. I asked the lady and she said that they only needed to be watered once a month and that they were virtually indestructible. I was surprised to hear that, and decided to accept the challenge. A month of taking care of my succulent, I was surprised to see that it was actually growing! I was so excited that I got a few more succulents…and then more…and then more, until my room was completely covered with various houseplants. Even my dorm now is covered. Just ask my roommates, my collection had flooded into our common area. Luckily, they enjoy the plants as much as me. 

All of this is to say that, as I’ve grown in my love for plants, I’ve also grown with them. The more plants I got and the more I took care of them, the more I began to take care of myself. As cliche and cheesy as it sounds, I compared myself to my plants in a way. Always growing. I’ve noticed my mental health has improved ever since I became a plant mom. There’s definitely something therapeutic in taking care of plants and seeing what you put into them, have an outcome. I get pathetically excited when one of my plants has a new leaf. They’re so beautiful and add positivity to my life. 

Believe it or not, houseplants can be very beneficial to one’s health. Most houseplants purify the air of toxins and increase humidity resulting in an aid to our immune systems. Of course, they also produce oxygen which, aside from breathing, helps give our brain clean air to function. They can boost your mood and even boost creativity and performance. Taking care of plants has definitely changed my perspective on life. Plants have taught me to be patient and grow in my own time. Growth is a process. A slow and meticulous process. But with the right input, we get a glorious output. Staying true to who we are and who we’re meant to be affects our future. In the right conditions, and allowing ourselves room to grow, we can thrive.