Has anyone else noticed that they are seeing fewer posts about baking bread in their Instagram feed, and more posts about houseplants? We’re officially calling it: houseplants are the newest #stayhome trend to take off. Especially now that we’ve started feeling the warmer weather and have the opportunity to open our blinds and windows to let in all our prairie sunlight, I reckon we’re going to keep seeing more and more greenery turning our interior surroundings into beautiful and lush garden-like spaces.

Even though we are now starting to lighten up restrictions, the recommendation is still to social distance and stay home as much as possible to continue to flatten the curve. That means we still have lots of time to turn our windowsills and shelves into tiny art galleries of loveliness.

In addition to being pretty, indoor plants offer many proven health benefits. They are natural air purifiers and humidifiers. They can be used for mild first aid – aloe, I’m looking at you! Studies have even shown that people recover from illness faster, get better quality sleep and can deal with stress more effectively when they have plants nearby. And let’s face it – we could probably all benefit from some added stress relief in our lives right now.

Whether you are already a certified green thumb who can list off the optimal growing conditions for every houseplant from amaryllis to zebra haworthia in your sleep, or an absolute newbie who doesn’t know a ficus from a fern, there are plenty of options available around the province to get your indoor garden growing.

Year round, you can get your plant on by shopping at a quickly growing number of stores specializing in houseplants including such favourites as Verde Plant Design and Sage Garden Greenhouses (Winnipeg), Earthbuds Florist (Winkler), Oakridge Garden Centre (Steinbach) and Lemon Tree Florist (Dauphin).

Of course, now that spring has sprung, there are no shortage of greenhouses open that will be able to satisfy both your indoor and outdoor garden needs. Shelmerdine Garden Centre (Headingly), Lacoste Garden Centre (Winnipeg), The Green Spot (Brandon) and The Garden Spot (Swan River) have just reopened this week (with careful social distancing measures in place) but are also offering online and phone orders with curb-side pickup.

If you really, really want to embrace this trend in your home but feel you could use some professional guidance, contact Plant Roost Design. They specialize in bringing nature into your indoor spaces and can easily work with you to answer any questions or design that living wall you’ve been dreaming about.

Let us know in the comments where your favourite place is to buy your houseplants. We'd love to check them out!