We want to open the door widely to Spring this month and have selected a decidedly floriferous little number as our plant of the month, the Azalea. These guys are normally found as vast pink, purple or white bushes, which attract bustling Spring pollinators who are getting ready to celebrate the start of spring.
The indoor Azalea, Azalea simsii for the plant nerds out there, takes the the essence of Spring and put it firmly into your home. This plants bright colours are the perfect reminder of the seasonal changes happening all around us at this time of the year.
As ever, we LOVE diving into how plants can help you thrive as much as you can help them, so buckle up and we will whizz you through some of the benefits of this beautiful little number.
Mind
It has been proven that receiving a bouquet of flowers lifts a mood and promotes endorphin release. Much like a bouquet of flowers but with an edge, in that it is a miniature tree, the Azalea will defiantly bring you a mental boost.
Sigmund Freud utilised seasonal blooms in his study to help relax his patients, with one of them remarking that:
“Everything here contributed to the feeling of leaving the haste of modern life behind, of being sheltered of one’s daily cares”
What is it about a floral bloom that relaxes us so much? Its hard to say exactly; their symmetry, natural colours, a reminder of natures beauty perhaps? Our man Freud reckoned it was because:
“Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither conflict or emotions.”
Sigmund Freud
Whatever the reason, flowers can help increase creativity and positivity as well as making us feel relaxed. Keeping flowers in places where you need a hit of nature and beauty is a great way to calm and reenergize your mind. I keep mine on my WFH desk!
Body
This plant is more candy for the eye than for the body. We like to think that bringing a plant that is synonymous with the great outdoors can provide you with the inspiration to get up and about and enjoy all of the benefits the great outdoors can bring you.
We have talked a number of times about how the great outdoors is good for you and there is no better time than spring to get up and enjoy a day disconnected from technology and connecting with nature.
One benefit this plant will have on your home is air purification and can remove formaldehyde (found in most cleaning products) making the air fresher and cleaner for you to enjoy!
Soil
Don’t panic when the flowers have gone on your shrub it will bloom next spring with a bit of love and care (I see so many of these flowering plants thrown away when they stop flowering ? ) In the meantime, this is how to keep your Azalea looking fine and dandy:
☀️ Bright, indirect sunlight
? Moist but not sitting in water. Water when topsoil feels dry
? Nutrient rich soil & well drained
☁️ Loves humidity so mist regularly & happy in temperatures between 13-29°C
It won’t come as a surprise that this gorgeous plant is going to be the centrepiece of our “Spring Forward” box which will bring a piece of Spring into your homes and the relaxation promoted by Freud amongst his patients.
This month we are working with the wonderful Vespucci Adventures to provide you with the perfect outdoor complement to the end of lockdown and our stunning Azalea, you can meet their founder Alex here:
Alongside that we have additions from One Green Bottle, our very own branded products and some incredibly boosting supplements (I’ve been taking them all month!).
We really hope you give this months box a go, so much so in fact that we’ve decided to give you 35% off because, well, because…
SPRING35
