Having houseplants has been proven to boost your mental health, which can be helpful to get through the winter months.
This left one looming question: what can you do if you want houseplants, but don't have a green thumb?
Victoria Beaty with The Botanical Bar in downtown Indianapolis shared some tips and encouragement.
"Everyone has the capability to be able to grow greenery in their lives," Beaty shared. "Nature is everyday therapy. We believe that anyone can take care of a plant."
Step one for caring for a plant is identifying which plant you have. This helps you identify the amount of water and light your plant needs.
"A lot of plants need the same light as you. You wouldn't be in direct sun all day, right? So it's very similar as far as the temperature and lighting," Beaty explained. "If you can take care of yourself, you can definitely take care of a plant."
Beaty has a list of plants that are hard to kill, even if you don't have a green thumb.
"These are the ones I recommend for first-time plant people, especially people who are busy and need something that's not going to die too easily," she said.
Her list includes: jade plant, snake plant, monstera, and zz plant.
Many of these houseplants are tropical, and they will be forgiving if you do not water for extended periods. Beaty said snake and zz plants only need to be watered once a month.
Other plants that are hard to kill include: peperomia, pothos, aloe, spider plant, and peace lily.
If you're still not convinced that you can care for a plant at home, just immersing yourself in green spaces can also boost your mood.
Garfield Park Conservatory in Indianapolis is filled with over 200 species of tropical plants.
Visitors can wander through the heated conservatory without having to upkeep any plants. This work is done by horticulturists.
"Outside's really cold, and kind of gloomy right now," said Kampol Pannoi, one of the horticulturists at Garfield Park. "You step in the tropical area, it feels a little different."
Plants fill the conservatory from the ground to the roof.
"Just feel like," Pannoi paused to take a deep breath. "Like oxygen! It's just a happy feeling in here."
I asked if the plants helped visitors with their mental health.
"Yes of course!" Pannoi exclaimed. "Every time I see someone come visit, I saw them smiling. They come in here like, 'Wow, there's so much life in here.'"
So whether you're trying your hand at growing your own houseplant, or visiting plants in a conservatory, you have options to try to get that mental health benefit this winter.
Beaty said visitors are welcome to ask questions about their first plants when visiting her store or via social media.
You can find out more about visiting Garfield Park Conservatory here.
