3 Plant-related Resolutions to Commit to This Earth Month

How does your garden grow? Whether or not you have a green thumb, wouldn't you love to cultivate a yard that's beautiful year-round? Even if you aren’t focused on greenery outside the home, or don’t have space to create a garden, you can certainly nourish and raise a beautiful version inside the home.

There’s no better time to renew your commitment to the planet than Earth Month. During these weeks, take the opportunity to learn about the environment and how little steps add up to big changes, both now and in the future.

Taking an interest in our planet and making a few plant-related resolutions is a great way to learn about sustainability, air quality, recycling, and wellness benefits everyone can enjoy. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

1. Restore Your Local Habitat

Native plants are enormously beneficial to the environment and community. They’re naturally beautiful—that alone may be a compelling reason to plant some in your yard. But they offer several other benefits, too. Since they’ve adapted to local soil conditions and climate, they easily withstand changes in the area’s atmosphere.

Because they’re well acclimated to the region, they don’t need fertilizers and generally don’t require pesticides either. The latter point is crucial, as pesticides are notoriously harmful to the environment. They can easily contaminate neighboring vegetation and make their way to nearby soil and water sources. They’re also toxic to living organisms, like beneficial insects and birds in your garden.

Even more, native plants don’t need as much water. In addition to obvious conservation benefits, using less water minimizes the likelihood of flooding and can prevent unwanted insects from overwhelming the yard. These plants even minimize air pollution by removing carbon from the atmosphere.

Use this to your advantage by selecting a few native plants and trees to beautify your landscape. They’ll breathe new life into your outdoor spaces, and you'll know you’ve done something positive for the world—in addition to making your home the envy of the neighborhood.

2. Create an Indoor Garden

If you lack sufficient space outside you might consider cultivating an indoor garden. Their beauty is unsurpassed, and there’s no limit to the amount of joy and pride you’ll feel in witnessing these beauties grow in your living space.

Indoor plants also happen to offer significant environmental benefits. Studies have found that some plants reduce pollutants in the air, like nitrogen and benzene. Among the most common varieties found in indoor gardens are pothos plants, spider plants, peace lilies, rubber plants, chrysanthemums, and Boston ferns.

Your indoor jungle can also increase humidity and minimize carbon dioxide levels in the home. Known to reduce airborne dust, indoor plants may also save you valuable time from not having to wipe down surfaces as often when you clean your home.

3. Grow Your Food

If you’re feeling ambitious, consider growing some vegetables. There’s something incredibly satisfying about chowing down on a meal that consists of ingredients you produced with your own hands.

Common options include peppers and tomatoes, along with herbs like mint and thyme. The list of options is enormous, and there are no limits to what you can create — especially if you’re an avid cook. Why stick with standard tomatoes when you can grow zesty and vibrant tomatillos? Or try some bok choy instead of basic cabbage.

You don’t need to stick with the tried-and-true herbs, either. There’s life beyond dill, that’s for sure. Garlic chives, for example, look gorgeous, with starry white flowers. Lime balm also features dainty white flowers and boasts a wonderful fragrance.

Growing your food is a great way to eliminate waste—you can just pick what you need. If you have kids, you'll set the stage for them to learn this habit at a young age and benefit from it for a lifetime. Growing your food also helps you save energy since your fuel costs will decrease if you don't need to visit your grocery store as often. When the plants decompose, they can be composted and used again to nourish your garden.

Making a few plant-related resolutions that seem small can reap huge rewards. It’s also a wonderful way to renew your commitment to improving the planet, one baby step at a time. Shop everything you need to get started on plantshed.com.