Plus: Beginner's plant | Wednesday, July 13, 2022
| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Finish Line | | By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·Jul 13, 2022 | | Jul 13, 2022 | | Welcome back. Join us at finishline@axios.com. - Smart Brevity™ count: 397 words ... 1½ mins.
| | | | | | 1 big thing: Bring nature inside |  | | | Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios | | | | Our house plants don't just look nice. They make us happier and healthier. Why it matters: Many of our jobs keep us indoors — away from nature — and the pandemic magnified that problem. But it turns out being around nature is essential to health, Axios' Anna Braz writes. Here are just some of the perks: "When we have plants in our home or take a hike, we see decreases in anxiety and stress," says Melinda Knuth, a horticulture professor at N.C. State. "Just being around a plant can decrease the cortisol levels in our saliva." - Humans get a subconscious positive jolt from the smell of flowers, the chirping of birds and the sound of rushing water.
What's happening: Plants sales soared during the pandemic as Americans coped with being stuck inside by bringing nature into their homes. - Plant nurseries in the U.S. saw sales jump 10%-15% in 2020, according to a Garden Center survey. Many of these sellers were small, mom-and-pop shops that are now thriving due to our revived interest in plants.
- 89% of consumers owned at least two houseplants in 2021, according to a Floral Marketing Fund report.
Zoom in: Watering and tending to plants and then watching them bloom is great for our minds. - A key sign of poor mental health is losing interest and pleasure in activities. Plants can curb that by bringing passion and routine into our lives, says Justin Puder, a psychologist in Florida.
The bottom line: Consider buying a plant from a local nursery to brighten up your home — or add to your collection if you're already an avid plant owner — and reap the benefits. |     | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Axios Smart Brevity Book | | |  | | | | Learn how to communicate more effectively with Axios' new book, Smart Brevity: The power of saying more with less. Axios' co-founders share their secret sauce on the power of saying more with less to get people to pay attention to what matters more to you. Pre-order today and get an exclusive Smart Brevity video. | | | | | | 🌵 The beginner's plant | | If you're looking for a forgiving plant to start with, consider a cactus or a succulent. - They'll retain water, and they're quite hard to kill — or damage in any significant way.
- "[T]hey will tolerate your terrible behavior for years and years, and then they will surprise you with flowers when they get growing again," NBC's Sophie Lee writes.
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