Why everyone should have an Indoor Jungle in 2021.

January 2021, the mother of all comedowns. I have somewhat higher hopes for February. Looking out of my window it's overcast with drizzle, somewhere between freezing and a frightfully low °C. The trees are bare, aside from a few hungry birds cheerfully searching for the few berries left of winter. It's hardly a postcard from the Bahamas.

Throughout the covid19 lockdown in the UK, one of the few shops that have been allowed to remain open have been the garden centers. Gardening in the UK is a big deal and many, including our government, consider it to be highly beneficial to mental health. In an attempt to cheer myself up and like many others, I braved the socially distanced queues to take a trip around my local garden center. Over the period of a year I have managed to buy myself a small, cheap houseplant with every visit.

In time I have come to own quite the collection. A quick browse online confirms I'm not the only one who has found themselves with an Indoor Jungle this lockdown.

What is an Indoor Jungle?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a jungle as "a tropical forest in which trees and plants grow very closely together". Whilst most of us live in small homes or apartments this doesn't seem particularly attainable in the first instance. However, the benefit of an Indoor Jungle is that outdoor space is simply not needed. All it takes to build the jungle is a few houseplants and a little time and care.

A small houseplant collection can grow quickly. Remember that dehydrated spider plant you rescued from a bargain shelf at the store? The decades old Christmas cactus your late Grandmother gifted you? That stunning orchid you got as a leaving present? As long as you managed to water them once in a while (don't panic if you haven't), these familiar plants are probably waiting patiently on a windowsill or shelf somewhere in your home.

All it takes is a few trips to the garden center and suddenly you've acquired something bigger, maybe an Instagram-friendly Monstera or an indestructible Snake plant. Before you know it, you have the start to your very own Indoor Jungle.

Are there any health benefits?

Houseplants are pretty amazing. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they light up a room and inspire us in so many ways. The Staghorn Fern in my bedroom window is the first thing I see in the morning, my eyes are naturally drawn to it and it instantly cheers me up. Their ability to help us physically and mentally is vastly understated and often not well known.

The few things most people do know about houseplants is that they're good for the air. NASA's Clean Air Study looked into the health benefits of Spider plants, Snake plants, Boston Fern and Ivy, all common household plants that can be found cheaply in the shopping mall or at any garden center. Their study discovered that these plants were fantastic at purifying the air. They were able to detoxify nasty chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia from the air.

Furthermore, a small study by the Agricultural University of Norway found that when houseplants were put in office blocks, a range of illness symptoms decreased by 25%. This included fatigue, concentration problems, dry skin and irritation of the nose and eyes. In a world where we are increasingly working indoors or from our homes, these studies prove that houseplants should be an essential part of everyone's homes. The more the better.

Can a houseplant improve emotional wellbeing?

Taking care of a beautiful plant and watching it grow over the weeks, months and years can be extremely rewarding. I know of some people who sing to their plants or give them names. I've been to Cactus shows and seen elderly men get very emotional over their cacti and bond with others over their love of plants. If that doesn't prove strong emotional wellbeing then hopefully this does:

Amazingly, a 2010 study by the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, documented a noticeable drop in stress among their workers when houseplants were put into their workspace. They also found a 37% fall in anxiety, a 58% fall in depression as well as a 44% drop in anger and hostility. The same study later went on to discover that the performance of middle school students considerably improved when a minimum of 3 plants were introduced to their classrooms. They found that the student's performance in spelling, maths, reading and science increased by a whopping 10 and 15%.

The final study I'm going to mention is by Human Spaces and I think it's probably one of the most important. They reported in 2015 that employees whose offices included houseplants and other natural elements scored 15% higher for creativity than those whose offices didn’t.

Struggling to write that essay? Get yourself a houseplant.

The best plants for an Indoor Jungle:

My advice to beginners is to keep it simple. From my own experience in the past I've bought plants that wooed me from the moment I saw them. Unfortunately I had absolutely no idea how to look after them and had to watch them die a slow, crispy death. I still can't look at Peace Lilies in the same way... ☹

So - Have a good look at your surroundings in your home and establish a few things first.

How good is the light?

All plants need some sort of light, even the dark, gloomier ones, however the type of light you have can affect the plants that will thrive in your environment.

Plants that will thrive in bright, direct light include Cactus, Succulents and Aloe Vera. These plants should be watered at least once a month from March to October.

Plants that do best in medium levels of light include Spider plants, Snake plants and Orchids. These plants should dry out between waterings (test the soil with your fingers). In the British summer these plants will be watered once a week, in the winter maybe every other week.

Do you have any pets?

This is a problem area for me with four cheeky cats. Mine are partial to a nibble of Calathea and Spider plants, both of which are safe for cats but it's a real pain if they get hold of them. If you're feeling creative, you can fashion a hook or hanging wire to go up high on the wall or windowsill to display your more vulnerable plants from hungry kitties.

On a more serious note, some houseplants are highly toxic and could kill a pet so do your research before you buy. There are lots of websites online that can specify in great detail. I can't stress enough to do this before you buy.

How forgetful/busy are you?

If you're juggling childcare or rushing out the door at 7am, there's a chance you'll forget to water your plants from time to time. I'm the overwatering type which is another problem altogether so let's have a look at watering needs.

Lots of water required: Calatheas, Ferns and Peace Lilies. These plants can also be a bit tricky for a beginner (I've had a few fatalities unfortunately), they will require near-daily spraying in addition to adequate watering.

For the forgetful gardener: Tillandsias (air plants), snake plants and cacti are great and rather forgiving. In the past I have forgotten to water my Mammillaria plumosa cactus for up to a year and it's thriving eight years later. Honest.

So what next?

If you despised January as much as I did and spent much of it moping around wondering what went wrong, I hope you consider this article. Go to your local garden center or go the food mart and get yourself a couple of houseplants (even potted kitchen herbs look great!). They don't have to be fancy or big or Instagram-ready, unless of course that's what you want and I say go for it. Just promise to do a bit of research and take care of them. Be patient and your houseplants will reward you with the Indoor Jungle of your dreams.