Why Do You Have Houseplants in Your Home?
The history and charm of indoor gardening
Did you ever think about the history of houseplants?
How did this trend begin?
Where did it come from?
If you have never thought about it, I am not really surprised; these questions never came to my mind either. Thanks to Dr. Preeti Singh and her prompt about houseplants that sparked my curiosity and interest in discovering the antiquity of indoor plants.
Background
It all started during the Victorian Era when doctors and scientists took an interest in studying plants. Those experts carried plants to their houses to observe and experiment with the plants to find out the benefits they had for humans and their environment. They learned how plants purified the air and cured diseases. The educated upper class and middle class brought plants to their houses. Some Europeans were also interested in exotic plants and the climate was not suitable for growing those plants outdoors so they grew potted plants indoors. Windowsill gardening also got popular during the late eighteenth century. Keeping houseplants also became a status symbol by then. It was not until 1940s when indoor foliage reached North America and the vicinity. Women realized the aesthetic aspect of domesticating greenery…
