Houseplants Were The Best Things Out Of 2020

Ahh the year 2020.

When we think of how the year 2020 went, I’m sure we all are thinking the same thing.

It was one heck of a year.

It was defiantly an eye opener to most, whether it was good or bad. There were some challenges we all had to face at one point in time.

But for me, houseplants were the best things out of 2020 and the amazing community it came with.

Houseplants On The Rise

For most, the end of March meant lockdowns. We were ordered to stay at home and only leave if it was absolutely necessary or an emergency. At least for me – living in Florida, we were locked down for a little over a month. We were all just sitting idle waiting for it to become safe enough to be out in the world again.

Which left most of us to take dive back into old hobbies or start new ones. And that’s how the houseplant craze of 2020 started.

Thanks to millennials, like myself – houseplant sales have been on the rise since 2018, but since 2020 houseplant sales from all over the world skyrocketed – almost quadrupling the sales from previous years, in just a few months.

Most people, like me went from having a few casual cacti or a Pothos around to having over 50 houseplants and even having a full plant room.

Eco-friendly Economy

The houseplant sales during 2020 kept a lot of small businesses afloat, who may not have survived the lockdown.

While we were locked in our homes or addressed not to go anywhere unless it was necessary,   many plant shops and nurseries worked tirelessly to still ship out orders to us.

Once restrictions were lifted, many people were told that any activities had to be social distanced and preferably held outside.

I didn’t feel completely safe going into stores, but I felt completely safe walking around a nursery. It was a great way to escape for a little while, and who doesn’t love a little bit of shopping therapy?

Finding Comfort In A Pandemic

I have always had houseplants around – here and there, but never the amount I had going into the new year.

Houseplants are amazing to help cope with anxiety or depression, like I’ve mentioned in one of my other blogs: Why Houseplants Are Good For Your Mental Health. Houseplants help people cope with mental health problems, and in the year 2020 – we needed them more than ever.

With the lockdowns – unless you lived with someone or a pet, you were alone. For people who rely on social interactions, this can really take a toll on them.

Houseplants aren’t just a dopamine booster visually, but they have social impacts as well. A plant needs your care and love.

They rely on you.

And in a crazy and lonely world, this can give you some purpose.

The Plant Community

No doubt that with the houseplant rise, there would be an influx of new plant social media accounts. The biggest being Instagram and Facebook.

The plant community is a place where houseplant mom and dad’s come together and show off their babies and/or get help/tips on houseplant care.

I was one of the many who dove into this community during the craziest of times. I started an IG account on a whim and created an identity for myself. The plant community is full of wonderful and supporting people who just have a lot of love for plants and want to spread that plant love.

You can follow me on IG here.

I had plants that were on my wish list, and I decided to ask the community where I could find that particular plant. Within a few hours I got messages about shops that sell them and even people who have the plant and were willing to cut off a piece and either sell it to me or trade for another cutting that I might have.

I have met (virtually) amazing people and even made friends in the plant community. These are people from all over the world, that I would have never met if it wasn’t for houseplants.

The weirdest thing for me was… they all were going through the same thing, even if they lived thousands of miles away. It’s nice to have some common ground with people so they can relate to you better and know you’re not in it alone.

High Hopes For 2021

Without getting into the obvious hopes I have for this new year, I hope that the community or the love for houseplants doesn’t fade. Houseplants were really the highlight for me in 2020 and hopefully they will be for the new year to come.

I have lots of plans for my plants for the future and have my eye on a few new ones. Which goes along with my 2021 motto, and that’s:

New year, more plants.

 

How did houseplants impact your 2020?