By Rebecca Roberts
sunlight, educational purpose, to take artistic inspiration from, or talk to a flora friend.
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020.
UNIVERSITY CENTER – During this era of social distancing, it can get pretty lonely, even with all of the newly implemented online resources. Focusing your energy on another being is a healthy distraction.
Plants love being talked to positively – a good outlet for your lingering desire to talk out loud to anyone or anything, other than yourself.
her free time in her plant room tending to her flora friends.
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Bender)
I asked Delta student Rachael Bender, a self-proclaimed plant mom (@motherofplants_mi on Instagram), what plants are easy for beginners to care for and the benefits those plants offer back to their caretakers.
“Good beginner plants are spider plants,” says Bender. “They’re very forgiving; just about anybody could keep them alive. […] You just have to make sure you don’t over or underwater them.”
Peace lilies are another great beginner’s plant, but can be detrimental for those with allergies since they flower and carry pollen.
Bender recommends researching what care works best for your plants. She warned against overwatering plants because, oftentimes, letting your plant sit in soaked soil can cause root rot and bacterial growth.
“Either drill a hole in the container or you can put pebbles in the bottom of the container and set a nursery pot on top of that, just to make sure there’s never water sitting on the roots,” Bender suggests.
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020.
Bender strongly believes in the healing power of plants.
“All of them are good for you because they clean the air, but they also help with my anxiety, [obsessive compulsive disorder] and depression, and all of the things because I get a little centered around them,” says Bender.
Most importantly, plants can detoxify some of our mental clutter. Practicing mindfulness by being attentive to your plants is an effective way to improve mental health.
Kitchen window sills make great incubators for herbs such as lavender, which can soothe anxiety, depression and insomnia. Another useful plant is aloe vera, which can be used to heal burns.
the greenhouse and the hydroponics system, Zimmerman also coordinates community
outreach programs and is working on possibly re-doing a section of the greenhouse in
order to offer a bee-keeping class. (Photo courtesy of Maggie Zimmerman)
Maggie Zimmerman, laboratory coordinator of Delta College’s greenhouse, thinks students would benefit from growing plants for nourishment, such as spinach and lettuce which carry necessary nutrients.
Zimmerman is excited about the hydroponics system in the greenhouse, which recycles water to feed the growing plants.
“You don’t have to use soil in order to grow plants – you can use water and then you just add your nutrients,” says Zimmerman. “Hydroponics is becoming a really big thing, especially like in apartments. […] If you can’t have a garden, you can build a smaller one.”
With hydroponics, you can grow plants in even tiny living spaces and you don’t need expensive materials to get started. If you’re new to gardening, there are guides to help you get started.
Send us pictures of your flora friends @DeltaCollegiate!
