If you can't have a pet, plants can also give your mental health a much-needed boost, and the new Amazon Plant Store now let's you order your all-natch-plant medicine right from your phone like a boss. "Active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress," a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology reported. If you're ready to make a commitment to a house plant, or you already have a green thumb, the Amazon Plant Store is a bevy of endless possibilities for every level of plant parent. If you're not good at remembering to water your plants (me all day), get some succulents. Want to grow a grandiose indoor garden? The Amazon Plant Store has your back.
From bonsai trees to bamboo stalks, and everything in between, you can bring some cheer into your home to stave off those mid-winter doldrums with everything green and flowery. "Contact with plants is an intuitive and nonverbal activity that can provide psychological stability and comfort by stimulating four senses in various ways," the study explained. If you've never considered yourself a plant person, it's worth experimenting with bringing the outdoors inside because interacting with and caring for plants can give you the warm and fuzzies when you're feeling all dark and twisty.
Amazon's commitment to plants extends further than it's store. The company is also integrating plants into its Seattle campus, according to Discover magazine. Amazon recently debuted three domes filled with tropical plants that will serve as creative meeting spaces for employees. It's actually a pretty genius idea because a study published in the journal Indoor and Built Environment found that people felt better and more productive at work when they were surrounded by plants.
So, while you're perusing the Amazon Plant Store you might want to grab a few for your desk, too. "The results from this study suggest that an improvement in health and a reduction in symptoms of discomfort may be obtained after introduction of foliage plants into the office environment," the study concluded. If you're not confident in your ability to keep plants alive, U Loop outlined a few plants that are pretty hard to kill, including bamboo, aloe vera, cactus, and the ZZ plant (a tropical African plant).
Additionally, there are other house plants that only need to be watered once a month, which is great news for me because I can barely remember to get enough water into my body let alone a plant. For the plant-watering-challenged person, Prevention magazine recommended the string of pearls (senecio rowleyanus), the beautiful begonia (seriously, the only plant I haven't killed), the wax plant (hoya carnosa), the air plant (tillandsia), the lucky bamboo (Amazon even has a heart-shaped lucky bamboo), the ponytail palm (beaucarnea recurvata), the cactus, the donkey’s tail plant (sedum morganianum), the spider plant (chlorophytum comosum), and the rubber plant (ficus elastica).
If you're into Feng Shui, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that plants can not only improve your home's visual energy, they are also considered good luck. "Bamboo is one plant that is considered lucky. It can be present in the form of flooring, wind chimes, or garden plant. Orchids are also recommended by [Architect Anjie] Cho to encourage new relationships. When placed on table night stands, it helps improves our breathing at night. It is also thought to help attract a respectful and honest life partner."
If you're not sure where to start, the website Our House Plant categorizes plants by level of commitment it takes to keep them alive, which can help set you up for success as a new plant parent. You can start small and work your way up. And, you just might find yourself feeling a whole lot happier with each new purchase from the Amazon Plant Store.
Our House Plant reported that a study published in the magazine Gardeners World noted that 80 percent of plant parents said they were satisfied with life compared to 67 percent of non-plant parents. Now you can combine your love of scrolling with your plant obsession by ordering all of your favorites right from your phone. Because, some things in life should be easy, and there's really nothing easier than becoming a plant parent with the debut of the Amazon Plant Store.
