The Importance of Hobbies – and Houseplants

It’s important to indulge in the things that give you happiness. Especially now, in times of such uncertainty and change, hobbies are important. Hobbies keep your brain active and engaged, and break the monotony that can result from being confined to your home. Maybe your hobby is watching new shows on Netflix? Cool! Maybe it’s playing video games with friends? Awesome! Maybe you’ve taken up sewing? Excellent! Today, I’d like to share my hobby with you in hopes of offering another creative outlet—and to spread some joy.

I love propagating, growing, and caring for plants. To propagate, or breed, a plant, you take leaf clippings, root portions, or stem cuttings—depending on the species of plant—and soak them in water until they begin to grow roots. Shortly after, the cuttings can be planted in soil and begin to grow normally. This works with a variety of produce, too; after the next time you cook, place the cut-off base of an onion, celery, or cabbage in a shallow container with some water, and wait about a week for new growth to appear!

To date, I am growing 16 different species of houseplants and herbs, amounting to about two dozen plants. Now that spring is arriving and the sunshine will be more plentiful, it’s the perfect time to start propagating new clippings. Around the holidays, when the new little plants will be firmly rooted in soil, I’ll give them to family and friends in small pots that I often source from Goodwill. However, it’s also a great time to introduce a new plant to your home if you’re thinking of seeing how it goes!

You don’t need to propagate plants or know all their fancy Latin names to enjoy having greenery in your home. All you have to do is look, enjoy, and give them some water and sunshine as needed. And since 85% of our lives are spent indoors, it’s important to make our personal environments as pleasing as possible. A 2015 study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that “active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress.” In fact, regular engagement with houseplants was associated with lower blood pressure, suppression of the sympathetic nervous system (think: “fight or flight” response), and the promotion of soothing feelings. 

There are some plants that are so picky about their pots, drainage, light and water conditions, air temperature, and more, that it’s a miracle that they survive in nature. Way on the other end of the spectrum are plants that the equivalents of the chillest of hippies, and are cool with almost anything. The plants I’ve listed here are, obviously, the latter type, and are perfect for the student or professional with a self-diagnosed black thumb, or those who have never cared for plants before. If you’re interested in trying to integrate a plant or two into your household, I highly recommend some of the following:

Sansevieria (Also called “Snake Plant” or “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”): There are a few different varieties of this plant, with varying colors and leaf widths, but in general snake plants are so named because they look like a bunch of snakes shooting upward from the earth. They are succulents with thick, blade-shaped, waxy leaves, and can grow to be 3-4 feet tall. Snake plants like to be tightly rootbound—meaning that the pot should be about the same diameter as the base of the plant itself—and good drainage. They’re appreciative of any level of sunlight, and tend to do better when they’re a little bit under-watered. So, if you forget to water your snake plant for a month, don’t worry! In general, try to water it every 2-3 weeks.

Aloe Vera: Yes, the same aloe that saves you from sunburn pain! This succulent has thick, meaty leaves that fill with aloe jelly as the plant matures. I got my aloe plant from Ikea, and it was fairly cheap and around 6 inches tall. Most will be this size when you purchase them, but can grow to be about 3 feet tall and just as wide. Aloe primarily gets its water from the air, and needs a very small amount of water weekly. As a succulent, likes to be rootbound and appreciates good soil drainage, and enjoys both direct and indirect sunlight.

Philodendron: Philodendron is a vine with heart-shaped leaves. It’s fast-growing, and looks great as a hanging plant or draped over a surface; mine is on top of my bookcase. It prefers medium light, but grows just fine in low light—just not as quickly. It should be watered when the top inch of the soil is dry, but it’s also very easy to tell when it needs to be watered. When it’s thirsty, a philodendron will start to wilt quite overdramatically; if you overwater, the leaves will start to turn yellow. As a bonus, Philodendrons are very easy to propagate, and by trimming off sections of the vine at nodes and soaking in water for about two weeks, you can grow dozens of new Philodendrons from a single parent plant.

Spider Plants (Also called “Ribbon Plant” and “Hen and Chickens”): Spider plants are so named because the main plants, which have light green, grass-like leaves with white edges, will periodically grow tiny little spider plants, or spiderettes, on offshoot stems. These spiderettes can be planted in a pot near their parent plant, and severed from the host when they take root. Spider plants do exceptionally well as hanging plants because they are a tad overzealous and tend to grow in all directions. They like bright light and soil with good drainage. It’s much easier to overwater a spider plant than underwater one; allow them to dry out completely between waterings. 

Peperomia: Peperomias are cute little plants that make the perfect desk companions. There are over 1,000 varieties, but in general they are squat plants with green, oval-shaped leaves.They don’t mind low light, and can grow pretty happily under fluorescent office lights or in a darker apartment. Peperomias are also succulents, and don’t require frequent watering. If you plant it in a well-draining pot and water every 2-3 weeks, and your peperomia will thrive.