Caring for a plant
Michelle (
Botswana
)
The feeling of caring for and watching a plant grow – Michelle’s goosebump moment
“Hello! My name is Michelle. I am from Botswana, and I am going to talk about my goosebump moment. So, my goosebump moment is related to gardening, and it happens every single time I plant a seed and I notice it has finally sprouted into a seedling. Or I have made a cutting and I notice it has finally grown roots. Just that feeling of being able to be a part of nature reproducing itself, I think is so special, and yeah, really amazing. The first time I felt this and what kind of got me hooked on gardening was with an avocado seed and putting it in water. You know, it takes kind of a long time for it to grow roots and when it finally does, that feeling is just unmatched. Yeah, that is my goosebump moment.”
Enjoying the process of watching a seed grow
Caring for plants, according to studies, gives more meaning to the lives of those who do it, especially if what is grown are fruits or vegetables.
Not everyone has a garden or even a balcony, but everyone can grow a seed and enjoy the process. The interesting thing about seeds is that they give no clue as to what will emerge from them, and their size bears no relation to the size of the plant they have the potential of becoming. When a seed germinates, it is not even always pretty, at least not at first, but being near them infects with the vigour, surprise, and energy of the beginning of life.
Nature’s tempo is perhaps slower than ours, but we can easily see how everything we do has a response. Even when you spend some time outside, it is always comforting to return to it.
The benefits of taking care of plants at home
Plants can become the soul of a home and taking care of them can be a very effective therapy to relax body and mind.
To cultivate them and to worry about their care is something relatively simple for any person. They are an affordable economic investment for any pocket, and you don’t need more than a small space to be able to begin. However, by introducing this hobby into our lives, we can achieve innumerable benefits on a psychological level.
A study developed in Holland in 2011 and published in CNN Health, found that just half an hour a day spent gardening or caring for plants can significantly reduce the levels of cortisol, the hormone produced by stress.
The University of Texas determined, in a study with elderly people, that the levels of optimism and satisfaction with their lives were considerably higher in those who practiced gardening.
Although at first it may sound strange, plants are much more than merely decorative elements. They have life, we see them grow day by day, they can accompany us for years and they evoke happy memories.
Planting, watering every day, pruning, removing dry leaves, fertilizing, and deworming the plants helps to concentrate all the attention on them for a good time and at the same time disconnect from daily problems in a serene environment.
A garden with meaning
Having the opportunity to be in a garden or surrounded by plants can make us feel a deeper connection to the earth and inspire positive feelings of wonder, gratitude, and abundance.
If, for whatever reason, we can’t get near a garden, it doesn’t hurt to remember that a simple bouquet of flowers alone can bring us numerous benefits.
A Rutgers University study showed that flowers are healthy mood regulators and that they have an immediate impact on our happiness, as well as promoting more intimate connections between individuals.
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