By Karen Espig
In recent years, Instagram accounts featuring greenery as their star attraction have bloomed into a veritable rainforest. Accounts may be simple photos of one individual’s apartment houseplants or professionally curated photos of rare, coveted (and pricey) greenery in vintage pottery and idyllic gardens.
There is no doubt that having plants around helps boost our mood and mental health, but is becoming an Insta-Plant-Agrammar a good choice for you? Let’s break it down.
Are You Already On The Insta Plant Path?
You may already find yourself following numerous Insta Plant accounts and passionately posting photos of your newest plant babies or plotting your next leafy purchase. In which case, I say “go for it”, but launch a new account where you can really showcase your plant passion and not torment your family and friends in your social media circle who “aren’t that into it”.
I promise you will enjoy the experience more if you post guilt-free to a receptive and enthusiastic audience. Plus, a focused group of followers will provide more valuable and inspiring feedback or comments.
Also, it may be wise to give some thought in advance as to whether you have a niche or leaning in terms of your style or type of plants you will grow and showcase. This will help you refine the presentation and content of your account.
What Motivates You?
If your grand plan is not about your plant passion but about becoming an influencer or to earn an income, I suggest you take a pause and do thorough research. Success at that level is certainly possible, but the odds of achieving it without the passion behind it is a challenge. It takes time and commitment.
If you’ve got a passion for both horticulture and social media stardom, well, then by all means, get your green on. Just be aware that the plant Instagram space may be more competitive than you think! You will need to develop a robust posting and engagement strategy, including frequency, quality and styling of your posts.
What Are The Benefits?
When you follow your joy, you are making a good choice. The obvious benefit of launching your Insta-Plant journey is that it provides purpose. It is thought that having plants to take care of satisfies the very human instinct of nurturing.
Having living elements in your home supports a connection to the natural world. And, not only that, your space will look fabulous and feel good while you are in it. There are significant psychological benefits of having greenery in your eyeline on a consistent basis.
As your plant population grows, you naturally experience the health benefits within your home. Plants are proven to provide improved air quality and support your mental health.
Are There Any Downsides?
If you are new to plant parenting, you may possibly underestimate the time commitment required, particularly if you are still at the novice skill level in terms of plant care and propagation. Be realistic in your expectations of yourself. You cannot learn everything all at once.
If you feel pressure to post more often or provide insightful content with each Insta photo, then the stress of that may overtake the gratification of a job well done or the appreciation of followers. If you are having the sense of not being good enough or interesting enough, perhaps take a step back or a break and just enjoy your plants for a bit.
At the end of the day, the truth is your followers are not your friends. This brings us to another downside: you could end up with too much alone time and not enough in-person interaction, which is something we all need to nourish our deep connections.
It is also possible that the expense of buying and maintaining plants may become a financial burden, especially if you are tending to purchase exotic plants or if your plants require specialised nutrients. You can plant-parent on a budget, certainly, but it takes a little more time and patience. If you are growing from cuttings acquired from friends, for example, they take time to flourish.
So, is the Insta plant phenomenon for you? I would say if you are already enjoying the content of other accounts and wish to join the community in a more active way, then give it a try. Whether it becomes a long-term investment of your time is less important than whether you benefit from the satisfaction of the journey.
Plants are a positive way to improve your well-being, and sharing is a great way to connect in the virtual space and bring joy to others–just don’t forget your real-life friends. Have them over so they can bask in your home jungle occasionally; you might just inspire them to create their own green space.