Gardening, An Ecofriendly Trend

HALLXH Tribe! During the pandemic, #stayathome isn’t merely a hashtag or a simple saying, but it is an obligation that we all must partake so that all of us can stay safe and healthy. And during that time of isolation, everyone seems to be looking for an alternative activity to keep themselves sane and more importantly, happy. These activities range from home workouts to reading.

A robust coping mechanism to deal with stress is much needed now than ever before. Enter – Gardening. Gardening is very beneficial for us and the Earth!

“There is a reason why I have a lot of plants growing inside of my house.” ~ Steven Magee

Bring in some plants also make your living space more alive – literally! But how do I start gardening? And what if the plants die? We don’t need to have a green thumb to start gardening it’s easier than you expect.

And here is some reason why you should start gardening ASAP!

Relaxation

Wouldn’t you like the fresh breeze on the hills amidst tall trees. Unfortunately, that swell idea would have to be put aside for a while during the pandemic. Fortunately, by planting a home garden, you could have all those fresh and lively experience of nature, inside the comfort of your home; all you need is some sunlight and water to keep your plants healthy.

First off, you could improve the air circulation of your home with the Bromeliad, also known as the Pineapple plant. Apart from being easy to care of, they will provide you with a deep relaxation which cures snoring and increases your sleep quality.

A perfect addition to your home garden collection would be the famous Mother in Law’s Tongue (Snake plant). Despite the intimidating name and sharp appearance, they are super low maintenance and can aid you in eliminating harmful compounds that lurk in your homes such as formaldehyde, halocarbons, benzene and xylene which exists in several home appliances and stationery.

Finally, if you want to add a bit of pizzazz, you can also keep a flamingo lily in your house. Her vibrant red colour will surely light up your day. She’s a perfect indoor plant that adores the indirect bright sunlight. She has to be watered up to one to two times a week and is fond of humid areas like your bathroom or kitchen.

With a perfect combination of all these three plants in your home, you can finally enjoy the fresh air and brilliant colours, much like that of a scenic hill.

Planting for Health

Plants are not only eye candies, but most of them filter the air at your home from the harmful compounds that can cause stroke, cancer and heart disease. As long as you plant them, they’ll gladly take care of you.

But which of those plants are beneficial towards your health?

The first great choice will be Peace lily. These elegant specimen is an irresistible choice for those currently living in humid and tropical countries. Their main characteristic is the ability to filter out harmful chemicals such as excess ammonia, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. And as a bonus feature, they smell like the forest, ideal for all of our eco-warriors out there!

Want another addition to your collection? How about the calming Jasmine. Although they are best suited for stress relief, they also increase your immunity and reduces the build-up of dust particles in your home. Also surprisingly, Jasmines increase your libido.

And finally, the lovely Lavender plant. Arguably the most famous out of our list of plants, their delicious scent may smell somewhat familiar since a lot of perfume brands have notes of Lavender in their fragrance. Their sweet and floral fragrance is also a form of aromatherapy, which is calming, relaxing and reduces insomnia. Plus, by topically applying Lavender, they could even reduce the severity of menstrual cramps. Lavenders can be used to make tea, and if you are a connoisseur of specialty tea, you can also plant some butterfly peas and make yourself a refreshing cup of tea. Bonus, both jasmine and butterfly pea teas are highly instagramable!

In reality, gardening isn’t only beneficial for your physical health, it also does great wonders to keep you in a healthy mental state. Especially during a pandemic where a healthy mental health is paramount to keeping your immune system in check. As you build chemistry with your plants and become one, all its positivity will flow within your mind and body; impacting your life towards a healthy and positive direction.

Planting to fight climate change

As we all know, climate change is no joke. Mother Earth has suffered enough, and we aren’t sure how much more she could take. But know this, if we don’t stop, we are the ones who will be extinct. Since we never wish for that to happen, how can we help?

We could start by growing our food. Start by simply planting tomatoes, chillies, beans and vegetables such as spinach, kale, pakchoi, and so on. The main focus here is to help each other restore the Earth, and by growing our food, we help protect our land and reduce our carbon footprint. Moreover, growing your food is always healthier, it is environment friendly and pocket-friendly too.

Through implementing a gardening trend, will the Earth immediately recover? Of course not. But imagine, if everyone’s goal is towards sustainability through gardening and planting your own food. Imagine on a larger scale if everybody adopts a majorly garden to table mode of living how much carbon footprint can be reduced? Alone we can do so little together we can do so much.

Just like the Avengers, we can fight against climate change as a team. In order to save the Earth like how they did, we would need plants and trees as our powerful soldiers fighting alongside us. You could start helping by planting a victory garden, plant your own food to reduce carbon footprint, hyper-local food chain and of course, planting more trees!

So? Ready to start gardening and save the planet?

Translated by: Carel Kainama