My House Plant Changed My Life, the title of David Domoney’s new book, seems a rather bold statement to make but research has shown that contact with nature can affect our health, both physical and mental.
Houseplants are known to filter toxins from the air, create a calming atmosphere and give us a link to nature.
They’ve seen a surge in popularity as more people live without gardens or rent their homes and need easily portable greenery. The pandemic with more of us working from home has added to this.
“When we visit rooms that have no plants in them, they feel lifeless,” David tells us.
“Plants make us feel human and can have a significant impact on our physical and mental wellbeing.”
He suggests that not only does growing houseplants make our homes easy to live in, tending them can also work as a much-needed screen break.
” . . .a ‘houseplant break’ to care for plants by watering, feeding and generally appreciating them will not only clear our heads, but also give physical relief, refreshing our minds and bodies.”
My House Plant Changed My Life goes on to explore the idea of plants in the home from how they can help with air quality to encouraging children to grow them. There’s also advice on where to position them and what to look out for when buying.
The bulk of the book is taken up by profiles of his top 50 choices of houseplants. Written in the first person, each has tips on watering, position and propagation.
“I’m a low-maintenance delight for beginners,” the Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) ‘tells’ us, while from the Venus Flytrap “I’m a lovable monster who’ll eat your flies!”
There are interesting facts: the parlour palm’s horticultural name, Chamaedorea, means gift from the ground; the Mexican hat plant (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) was sent into space on Salyut 6 to boost moral for the crew.
Woven through these profiles are ‘top fives’: plants to calm and relax; to energise and enthuse; to cheer you up; to spark creativity.
With the information broken down into small ‘captions’ around a central illustration, My House Plant Changed My Life is a really easy-to-read but information-packed book, ideal for the beginner.
My House Plant Changed My Life by David Domoney, is published by Dorling Kindersley with an RRP of £9.99. You can buy it here for £8.19. (If you buy via this link, I get a small commission. The price you pay is not affected.)
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