For many people, walking into a plant shop feels different from walking into any other kind of business.
“Retail shopping is one thing, but stepping into a plant shop is a real experience,” said Lillian Cox, co-founder of REWILD plant shop and organizer of D.C. Plant Week. “That sort of exhale feeling, stepping into the place, and people want to bring a slice of it into their own home so they can just keep that going.”
Businesses in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are participating and offering daily specials and how-to events. Cox said a living plant plays a different role in a home or office than an inanimate object.
“I stumbled across the term ‘biophilia’ a couple years ago, which I really resonate with,” Cox said. “It refers to the innate, human, instinctive draw toward natural life, and it kind of describes the satisfaction with regards to seeing plants.”
While other purchases may provide pleasure, plants will continue to change how you feel.
“I’m always encouraging people to think of their plants as dynamic fixtures in their homes,” Cox said. “It’s almost like a piece of sculpture in your home; in that, you can style it to enhance the vibe of a space — but it’s going to grow, and it’s going to change.”
And taking care of a living thing requires an amount of responsibility.
“A lot of people decide to bring plants into their home with the idea of wellness and supporting their mental health,” Cox said. “And then, when it comes to making that decision, there’s a little stress because, ‘I don’t want to kill this thing, I want this plant to have a good life with me.'”
Cox said the participating shops will help would-be plant owners find the right plant for their lifestyle.
“They’re there to sort of calm your anxieties, address all your questions, and make sure that leap is as easy as possible,” Cox said. “Many of these plants don’t require more than weekly watering.”
In fact, sometimes plants suffer from too much attention.
“The DMV is full of such high achievers that they bring a plant home and they do too much, and they end up killing them with an overabundance of effort,” Cox said.
However, in time, Cox said plant owners will learn a “gentle routine,” that does provide mental health benefits.
“You’re interacting with this thing with your senses, you’re checking the leaves to see the color, you’re touching the leaves to see if they’re limp, and you’re sticking your fingers in the soil to see how dry the soil is.”
Events this week include creating desert terrariums, a propagation workshop, plant swap, soil discussions and the Aug. 24 finale at The Square D.C.
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