Winter is a magical season that offers just as many gifts as any other; however, sometimes the cold weather prevents us from going outside and truly connecting with nature. Being cooped up in buildings, offices, and rooms too long can sometimes give us a case of the winter blues or, in more serious cases, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Sometimes, the remedy is simple. Sometimes, it’s complex. No matter the case, houseplants can help provide a better connection to the natural world and create a healthier environment in your home! Here’s what we recommend:
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
It’s completely normal to feel a little sleepier during the winter months. With long nights, frigid temperatures, and many plants and animals hibernating, it’s also part of our natural cycle to want to cozy up near the fire and listen to stories. In some cases, however, the winter blues can turn into seasonal depression, which psychologists have formally dubbed Seasonal Affective Disorder.
As with any psychological issue, the causes can be difficult to determine and depend on your personal circumstances. Therefore, we recommend seeking professional help if you are struggling with SAD. That being said, changing your home environment with added houseplants can definitely help improve mild cases of the winter blues by bringing bright, vibrant life into your space!
Do Houseplants Help With Seasonal Depression?
If you can’t go outside as much in the winter, you can always bring a piece of nature indoors to enhance your home environment. Scientific studies and personal experience both attest to the benefits of caring for and being in the presence of plants in the midst of winter blues, the most obvious being the enhanced oxygen and air-purifying qualities they provide.
Do you ever feel more creative when out in a forest? Houseplants bring a piece of that inspiration indoors, too. Studies have also shown that houseplants enhance creativity, reduce stress, and thus improve our focus.
Even more research is also just now coming out to reveal the connection between bacteria in the soil and our happiness. Just digging in plant soil and inhaling the microbes within can give us a boost of serotonin, which perhaps explains the sheer joy we get from gardening in general. As it turns out, we inhale these soil microbes—and reap their benefits—by taking care of houseplants, too! Houseplants are truly an effective natural remedy for those pesky winter blues.
What are the Best Winter Houseplants?
Snake Plant: Excellent at removing toxins like formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene from the air. These chemicals seep into the air from all kinds of sources; the building materials in your home, furniture, even those rubber-soled shoes! Sansevieria absorbs and converts them into pure oxygen. Just one Snake Plant can make a big difference in air quality and aesthetic for a small, dimly-lit office or bedroom. These easy-to-care-for plants perform well in lower light conditions, especially during the winter when there aren’t many daylight hours.
Chinese Evergreen: This plant‘s joyful, variegated green leaves may shake your winter blues with its color alone. With lots of big leaves, it’s another heavy breather that quietly filters your home atmosphere while you’re going about your day. As slow, steady growers who aren’t too fussy about their conditions, they also have some wisdom to teach as we try to make it through the cold months.
English Ivy: like many vines, English Ivy’s laid-back, hanging form reminds us to relax and let go of our stress this winter. It’s also beautiful when displayed in a hanging basket. The lush, dark green leaves also counteract the gray skies outside and do a great job filtering our air, again keeping those blues away!
Pothos: The Pothos is another vine with abundant green leaves. Growing 10-18 inches per month, you can almost watch its vines expand. You can also easily trim them and use the cuttings to propagate more plants, giving you an excuse to get your hands in the soil during the winter. Plus, they’re another plant that’s great at reducing household toxins.
Cacti & Succulents: What benefits can a humble cactus or succulent offer you during the winter? Well, there’s something resolutely charming about these desert plants. The monks of the plant world, Cacti and Succulents remain happy even in the harshest of desert conditions, a lesson we can all learn from in the midst of such a blue period! Plus, as smaller-sized plants, they make great companions on your desk or anywhere else where you’re low on space.
ZZ Plant: This houseplant is another low-maintenance companion that thrives with little water. Unlike the cacti, however, ZZ plants also do well in low-light conditions. Originating from southern Africa, it brings a warm atmosphere into your home as you wait out the cold spells.
At the end of the day, most houseplants will make great companions over the winter. As soon as you’ve got a lot of them growing in your home, it’s easy to notice the difference in oxygen levels and the mood boost they bring. To see a greater selection of houseplants sure to shake those winter blues, drop by our garden centers in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville today!