As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected outdoor activities for many, people have started to spend more time indoors, especially in their own homes. As a result, some people have found a new way to bring nature into their homes: home gardening! Growing plants was usually the domain of the middle-aged, but these days those in their twenties and thirties are also falling in love with plants. And recently, a famous singing duo, AKMU, showed their way of enjoying home gardening on an entertainment program, Nice Alone. The Sungkyun Times (SKT) will find out what home gardening is and the reason for its popularity among the youth.
About Home Gardening
Definition and Scope of Home Gardening
Home gardening is a combination of the words “home” and “gardening”, which simply means growing plants in the home. From turning the living room into a garden full of plants to growing a small plant in a room, everything that includes growing plants can be considered as home gardening. These days, many people started their home gardening for practical reasons. Early this year, the price of green onions became surprisingly expensive; so, people saved money by growing green onions at home and using them for cooking. Or, planterior, a combination of the words “plant” and “interior”, which means using plants to decorate a house, can also be regarded as home gardening. People start home gardening not only for practical reasons but also for emotional reasons. A new term, “Pet Plants”, has been coined because the number of people who take care of plants, like animal pets, is increasing.
Popularity of Home Gardening
With home gardening’s popularity, the trend of growing plants expanded from family events to therapies and hobbies. As a result, the sales of home gardening products to take care of plants have increased significantly. For example, Auction, the online shopping company, announced that the sales of gardening sundries have increased compared to those of the same period of 2020. Sales of flower pots and gardening goods increased more than 18 percent and 42 percent respectively. One more surprising thing is that home gardening is also spreading to those in their twenties and thirties who live alone. On the social media platform Instagram, more than 40 million posts can be found with home gardening-related hashtags like #HomeGardening and #VerandaGardening.
Reasons for Popularity of Home Gardening Among Young People
Increase of Interest in Interior Design
Due to the prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, social distancing has become a part of everyday life. Thus, the amount of time spent at home has increased more and more, making people become interested in interior design. In particular, adding flowers or plants to decorate a home gained popularity. Experts said planteriors had already become a hot potato for the interior design industry, and COVID-19 made it explode. Planteriors especially fit well for the younger generations because they love to show off their style. Uploading a well-appointed space on social media is one way to show off their taste and style. As remodeling a house is difficult for practical reasons, plants can help it! By changing the mood of a room with only one or two pots, plants are a great way to make a space lively and unique.
Growth of Online Flowering Markets
As many flower shops and gardens provide online ordering services, people can order a plant online and receive it without even visiting the shop. Usually, those shops are located in the open market, so people can order plants easily. There is no reason to onerously visit flower markets and carry heavy plants, pots, or soil home. Online shops bring the plants and planting goods right to the home, and people only need to determine which species to order. Some shops even send a picture of the plant to show how the plant looked before the shipping process. Giving a gift for someone else through online gift shops like the Kakaotalk gift shop is also a way to utilize plant delivery services.
High Satisfaction But Low Cost
For those in their twenties and thirties who live alone and go to work or school almost every day, it is hard to live with pets. In the case of pets, it takes a lot of money to feed or to provide medical care. Also, pets require time for walking and playing. Moreover, it is impossible to let a pet stay alone for long periods of time. However, plants are relatively free from those kinds of concerns because it doesn’t need a lot of money and time to take care of plants. Sunlight, wind, and water are all plants need. Of course, there are some irreplaceable merits that pets give to people. But in fact, plants can also be friends with people. According to a survey conducted by the Rural Development Administration, 53.9% of respondents said, “It is possible to devote affection to plants just like pets.”
Tips for Gardening Beginners
★ It is recommended to grow a plant that has high recuperative powers such as foliage plants because it is easier to check the status of plants.
★ Wind is a very important factor that beginners easily forget.
★ Do not make a specific time to water your plants. Instead, look at your plants’ condition carefully.
Plants give us silent consolation by living around us. It would be good to be with plants if Kingos are struggling with the COVID-19 blues. Caring for green plants might give Kingos a more cheerful life.