After returning home from a three-week vacation I hurried over to check that Omari had enough water in his bowl. He appeared well fed and taken care of. Omari isn’t a dog or a cat though, Omari is one of my plants. In fact, my partner and I have a combined total of 27 plants in our studio apartment with plans to add many more. A succulent watering can stands shining on the window-sill, and this week I planted seeds in up-cycled beer bottles to turn them into an herb garden.
I am far from alone in my love of plants. Just scroll through #UrbanJungle and #PlantsOfInstagram and you will see millions of images posted by proud plant parents. As the average age of marriage and home ownership increases, millennials are increasingly turning to Philodendron and Dracaena to fill a void. From first time plant owners, to this gentleman with 130 plants in his Brooklyn apartment, millennials are showcasing their green thumbs, naming their ficus', and making plants their new pets.
That isn’t to say that millennials are abandoning pet ownership all together. In fact, 35% of all pets are owned by millennials. However, with the average debt of millennials being $36,000, increasing amounts of student debt, and the rise of housing costs in major cities, it is no surprise that millennials are seeking out alternative and affordable pets. According to one report, the total first-year cost of owning a dog is $1,270 and for a cat it is $1,070. This likely far exceeds even the cost of pricey plats at your local nursery.
So why are millennials turning to plants?
1. Low Cost, Low Maintenance
My apartment doesn’t allow pets. I have considered moving to a different part of the city purely in order to have a dog and a cat. Yet in the meantime, having plants allows me to take the energy required to nurture a living creature and channel it into something else: Being a plant mom. Sure, plants aren’t nearly as fluffy, and they don’t great you at the door when you come home after a hard day, but they are inexpensive, only require watering once a week, and I still get the accomplishment of knowing I have kept something alive for multiple years.
2. Adding Greenery
Due to increasing cost of living expenses, many millennials are living on-top of each other in small apartments. They may share a living space with multiple roommates in order to make rent work in one of the city centers. Because of housing costs, millennials are delaying home ownership, which means no gardens. By adding plants indoors, millennials are taking the appeal of an outside garden, and bringing it into their homes. Oh, and for those who are living in cities which freeze over in the winter? Year-round gardens. I am a sucker for a beautiful terrarium! You can get one here!
3. Mental Health
Naturing a plant and watching it grow provides a profound sense of pride and accomplishment. Even on your lowest days, taking care of a plant can help provide a sense of purpose. Growing a plant cannot be rushed, and requires one to have a certain degree of mindfulness and patience, something critical to develop for your mental health. According to one study, “ 88% of people cited mental wellbeing as a reason for heading out into the garden.” In addition, research has found that having plants in a hospital rooms impacts patients profoundly, who feel decreased levels of anxiety and feel more positive about their surroundings.
4. Physical Health
Not only can plants improve your mental health, but they can also improve your physical health. For instance, the Snake Plant and Gardena have been found to significantly improve the the quality of sleep. Plants also are known to improve the air quality of a room by removing toxins from the air, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and generally making you feel more awake. They are also a great alternative for individuals who are allergic to dogs and cats.
So whether you are a proud pet owner, or an indoor gardener, everyone can benefit from adding more plants to their living space.
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