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How Plants Promote Better Health and Well-being

People are experiencing high levels of psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other traumatic experiences. It’s continuing to take a significant mental health toll, with increased stress, anxiety and depression among people from all walks of life. It’s normal and understandable to feel stressed and overwhelmed during this unprecedented time. Whatever situation you are in, there’s no better time than the present to be more intentional in taking care of your health and well-being.

Being surrounded by nature can make someone feel peaceful and filled with joy. Science has proven that interacting with plants has a beneficial impact on our health and well-being. To get you more inspired to take care of yourself through gardens or gardening, here are numerous benefits of how plants can positively affect health and well-being.

1. Boosts Concentration and Memory

Humans are able to have a better focus after spending time in nature or even just from having a landscape nearby. If you find yourself having difficulty concentrating over a certain task, why not take a walk outside and appreciate nature or your garden which could include the unique foliage of Red Rover™ Callistemon or stare for a while on the delicate cream and green variegated foliage of Silverlawn™ Liriope. Being outside for even 15 to 20 minutes surrounded by plants like the vibrant orange/red flowers of Fire Bells™ Correa, will boost your concentration and enhance memory performance naturally. Interesting plants inspire and invigorate.

Beautiful red flowers
Fire Bells™ Correa

2. Flowers Bring Happiness

Flowering plants provide raised levels of happiness, and keeping them around your yard has the potential to remarkably lessen stress levels. Vivid flowers that flower more often can be highly beneficial. The white repeat blooms with occasional single purple stripes of Autumn Lily™ Rhododendron can undeniably cause positive feelings when being viewed. Flowers won’t solve our problems but for a while, the lavender blooms accented with darker purple freckles of Autumn Lilac™ Rhododendron will make you smile and feel good. Feeling good brings you happiness. The blossoming of beautiful gold flowers of Mighty Gold™ Aloe in the cooler months, will trigger the sense that something special is coming, thus will keep you feel inspired. Everlasting Mega Gold™Anigozanthos  can make a stunning addition to your garden. Its large gold flowers for much of the year can surely boost people’s mood.

Autumn Lily™ Rhododendron

3. Improves Relationships and Increases Compassion

People are just as diverse as the plants. Tending plants takes practice and so does nurturing people. There are lessons you can acquire when caring for plants, and you can utilize them in caring for others. Some people think that low maintenance relationships are ordinary and completely boring, when in reality they can also be as beautiful as the strappy leafed plants like Banana Split™ Dietes, which are hardy tough plants that require little care in order to do well.

If you rush the growth of a plant, watering it every single day when in fact it only needs to be done once a week, it will die. Just like the beautiful gold flowers of Mighty Gold™ Aloe, you have to be patient to wait for the cooler months to witness its vivid flowers while the rest of the year you can enjoy its interestingly spotted foliage. Appreciate the plants and the people around you at the different stages of their growth. Learning how to have patience with those around you will promote better relationships. Studies have also proven that people who are devoting more time around plants helps grow compassion for others. It is when people dedicate increased time around plants, they are very likely to try and help others.

Dietes plants
Banana Split™ Dietes

4. Enhances Human Performance and Increases Energy

Being in nature, or even observing scenes of nature, provides people improved vitality and energy thus making them livelier in life. Exposure to nature positively changes one’s state of mind resulting in a better human performance. You can’t help but feel alive and active when appreciating the gorgeous dark pink bottle brush flowers of Candy Burst™ CallistemonBy watching the bees and native birds being attracted to the beaming pink flowers of Fluro Burst™ Callistemon, you will feel more alive and ready to accomplish anything.

Callistemon pink flowers
Candy Burst™ Callistemon

5. Promotes Learning

Plants provide sensory stimulation to children, to them plants create a magical world where imaginations infinitely abound. Leaves and other natural lose parts become toys. Through interactions with nature, subjects in school like science, math, art or literature can potentially be learned. Plants also encourage outdoor games that can increase higher levels of physical activity among kids. Truly the effects of being around nature can enhance one’s learning capabilities.

Child in nature

6. Provides Medicinal Properties

One of the incredible benefits of growing food plants are the medicinal properties you can benefit from. Due to their strong flavor, Ozsuperb™ Oregano and Simply Zesty™ Oregano are not only recommended herbs for cooked dishes, but science shows that they are also a good source of antioxidants which can help prevent diseases, and their increased level of carvacrol has many positive enhancements of the gut. Adding Refresh™ Mint to your drinks will not only make your refreshment flavorful and enjoyable but it will also provide you with relaxation and other health benefits. It may help relieve indigestion and improves cold symptoms. Ozbreed super herbs will be available soon, but while you are waiting enjoy the benefits of regular herbs.

Origanum herbs
OzSuperb™ Origanum

7. Relieves Stress and Improves Mental Health

Plants are ultimate stress relievers. Being outside in your garden creates a calming atmosphere. Sitting under the beautiful canopy of Podium™ Fig will allow you to put your mind at ease and can aid in reducing tension. Even just gazing at the stunning white flowers of Grand Star™ Dietes may diminish anxiety levels. Whether by simply hanging around in your garden or tending your plants, evidence shows their positive effects on people’s mental health, helping them relax and de-stress.  

Relaxing landscape with big fig tree
Podium™ Ficus

8. Gardening Therapeutic Effects

Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years. Research shows that there’s therapeutic power in taking care of plants. All that digging, planting and pruning gives natural clean air and a sense of accomplishment. People find value in having something to tend to, especially when the plants depend on them to survive. Gardening is also an activity that you can enjoy doing as a group and spending time with family and friends and is an excellent way to uplift your mood.

Woman gardening outdoors

9. Influences Quality of Life

Gorgeous natural landscapes not only bring aesthetics and a peaceful environment, they also affect people’s perceived quality of life. Humans connect living in places with abundance of natural beauty, with a higher quality of life. Keeping plants and maintaining your garden can be pivotal to the happiness and progress of an individual or even a whole community.

Ozbreed Garden

If you are interested in meditation, try nature meditation. Letting everything go from your mind, and with your senses imbibe the fragrance of flowers, or focus on the movement of leaves. No two leaves or flowers are ever the same when you zoom your focus in. Whether you meditate in the garden or just hang out; the personal, family, and societal benefits of plants are immense.

Todd Layt is a renowned plant and turf breeder, researcher, and marketer with a passion for developing high-quality landscape plants and turf that are tough, resilient, and sustainable.

Over the years, Todd has established himself as an industry leader and has built an impressive portfolio of over 60 different plant varieties, many of which are now selling in large numbers across the globe.

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