"Why Do You Like Plants?" they ask.

I am frequently asked, “Why do you like plants so much?”. To be honest, there are a plethora of reasons for my love and passion and I would say that they originate from both nurture and nature.

I remember growing up and having many houseplants in our home. From the palm in the hallway, the sansiveria in the bathroom and the jungle of potted plants that took up much of the balcony. Back in those days, we were allowed to pick and play with the blooming hibiscus flowers and umbrella sedge, the fruits from our extensive collection and anything else that my mom grew in the yard. “Just don’t kill my plants!” she would say. She loved plants, loved spending time in the garden and has made a business of selling plants after she retired.

Plants are in her DNA, and she’s passed them on to my sister and to me.

For many years, I appreciated the look of plants but was too busy with other things to incorporate them into my own daily life. I’m an earth sign and believe I am naturally connected to things of the earth. In 2014, my interest grew and I started collecting all sorts of plants, but eventually started to understand and narrow down the types of plants I was truly drawn to.

I love and appreciate how plants (both indoor and outdoor) offer a myriad of colors, shapes, textures and uses, each gifting us their own unique beauty, plants are truly mesmerizing.

The combination of indoor and outdoor plants can create a harmonious connection between our indoor living spaces and the natural world outside. Indoor plants bring a touch of nature into our homes, creating a soothing and refreshing atmosphere.

The resilience and adaptability of plants are admirable traits, and they can serve as powerful metaphors for life lessons. Look how plants often demonstrate the importance of patience, growth, and finding strength in adversity.

It's wonderful to appreciate caring for plants and reaping the benefits they offer to our physical and our mental well-being. Caring for plants can be an immensely rewarding and therapeutic activity. I could, and sometimes do, spend the entire day tending to my plants. I feel like it gives me a sense of purpose and responsibility, it establishes some level of routine and structure and gives me a sense of accomplishment. Let’s not forget how it encourages mindfulness and being present, allows one to foster a deeper relationship with nature, it reduces stress and definitely contributes to the aesthetic enhancement of our living spaces.

Some of my current favourite plants include monsteras, anthuriums, alocasias and philodendrons, all having several variations. I’ll share a few photos but we will talk some more about them in another post.

What about you though, what are your reasons for liking plants? Do you have any favourites? Share your comments below, we’d appreciate reading your point of view.