Plants: a cheap and cheerful happiness booster

When I was younger I used to (and still do) dream of having a small garden – somewhere to grow things; a little slice of nature outside my home. However, as time presses on, housing becomes more and more expensive, and an increasing number of people are finding themselves squished into concrete ‘urban jungles’, the idea of owning a plot of land to cultivate plants feels less and less likely and a lot more like a dream.

My pseudo solution to this problem (starting from when I moved away to university, and thus lost access to the garden in my parental home) was to create a ‘window sill garden’ – a few pots of plants by the window that I tried to grow, watering them enough that they would not die. There have been a few studies conducted (and populist articles written about said studies) that have suggested that introducing plants to your living and working conditions can improve morale, focus, and general productivity (hopefully leading to you making more money!).

When I was younger I used to (and still do) dream of having a small garden – somewhere to grow things; a little slice of nature outside my home.

Seeds are pretty cheap to buy, too – varying slightly depending on the plant that you wish to grow. I generally get them from eBay, where they have a good selection from various sellers, however, you will also find seeds in all kinds of supermarkets from Lidl to Sainsbury’s. Some plants that I’ve found both easy and practical to grow are:

Catmint – £1.39 (including delivery) for 2660 seeds. This one’s my favourite because I can pick leaves off and give them to my cat.

Chives – £0.99 for 600 seeds. You can chop them up and put them in an omelette. If you’re lucky, sometimes they flower, although mine never have.

Coriander – £1.39 for 1500 seeds- I also got a pack free from Kellogg’s with my Coco Pops. Not quite as thrilling as the little collectable plastic toys that used to come with cereal, but I always love a freebie!

There have been a few studies conducted that have suggested that introducing plants to your living and working conditions can improve morale, focus, and general productivity.

Plastic plant pots are also pretty cheap, and can be sourced in Poundland, or any garden or DIY store. It also goes without saying that if you would like to add some flowers to your ‘garden’ there’s a wide selection of ready-grown indoor plants for you to choose from.
A Word of Warning: If you are a pet owner, and you would like to put some flowers in your windowsill garden, it’s worth noting that some plants are toxic to animals and should either be placed in an area that your animal cannot access, or just should just be avoided altogether. Such plants include daffodils, lillies, and aloe vera.