Gardening: Rooted in the heart?
Gardening is not everyone's cup of tea. It takes a lot of time, knowledge, and effort to take up gardening. It isn't just about watering the plants on time or keeping them in direct sunlight; it is about your passion for them. So, to get a better insight about how popular gardening is, we asked 2,370 respondents whether they liked it or not. As per the poll, the majority of the respondents (61.86%) have a deep-rooted love for gardening. 22.24% of the respondents like plants but don't have the right know-how to look after them, while 11.98% of the respondents prefer to lend a helping hand to their family members. Only a small group of respondents (3.92%) don't like gardening at all and perhaps prefer to admire their beauty in someone else's garden.
Human Nature Finding Peace in Nature
The lockdown initiated due to the pandemic is responsible for many changes in our lives. One of which is the restriction imposed on our movements. We are all so used to being busy in our lives that not going somewhere or not doing something fruitful, shakes up our core. Our human nature propels us to work and follow a routine for our sanctity. So, to appease this side of our human nature, many people turned to Nature for help. We noticed a pattern wherein many people started gardening during the lockdown. And to get a clearer picture, we asked 2,305 respondents whether they have also followed this path or not. 44.95% of the people responded with a resounding 'yes' ? they have recently discovered the simple pleasures of gardening. 32.28% of the respondents were already fans of gardening and have plants from before, while 15.53% of the people won't be starting to garden any time soon as they feel they are clueless on this subject. There is, however, a little hope with 7.25% of our respondents who reveal that they keep researching about it; they haven't mustered up to the strength to start it yet.
Keeping Up with Gardening
Gardening is no bed of roses. It comes with its fair share of thorns. Its daily maintenance and the constant tender, love, and care is not so easy. And more the number of plants, more the difficulties. You have to be quite a pro to handle many plants, and to find out how many people are actually pros at it we asked 2,269 respondents how many plants they have in their homes (including indoor and outdoor both). 15.82% of them have more than twenty plants in their homes, while 8.73% have more than fifteen, and 16.48% have more than ten. 9.56% of the respondents look after ten plants, 12.08% tend to eight, and 15.25% only have five plants. 15.60% of the people have less than five plants, and 6.48% have no plants at all. The verdict, therefore, seems to point at the fact that many people have got the right skill sets to keep up with the toils of gardening.
Gardening: A Hobby or Therapy?
Some relationships in life are unique. They transform and heal you without any compromises or demands. And our relationship with plants is also something like this. When we nurture a plant, it nurtures us back. It soothes us, bringing a smile on our face, naturally. And the need for this relationship in the times of covid-19 has been of utmost value. Seeking a definitive answer to this, we at Opinion Bureau asked 2,237 respondents whether gardening as a hobby has helped them cope better with the pandemic. And the responses we received has only reaffirmed our view further. 43.99% of the respondents, for instance, find gardening as a natural therapy. 36.43% of them say that it gives them a routine and a purpose when they are locked-up in their homes, with nowhere to go. Only a small group of respondents (7.38%) find maintaining plants to be a big hassle, while 12.20% of the respondents don't have gardening as a hobby. It seems, therefore, gardening has its perks, apart from the obvious beauty it brings into our lives.
Love at first sight, seed, and smell.
When it comes to plants, everyone has their favourite. Some might like it because of the fragrance it emits, some might like its distinctive colour, and some might just like the fact that it comes with a no-maintenance policy. So, to see which plant rated the highest amongst all, we asked 5,997 respondents about their five favourite indoor plants. The most popular vote goes to the soothing vibe of Aloe Vera (20.23%), followed by the elegant Peace Lily (15.16%), the draught-resilient Cacti (10.37%), the evergreen Snake Plant (8.47%), and the beautiful Succulent (8.09%). Other popular species include Monstera with 7.37% of the respondents rooting for it, Philodendron with 6.02% votes, and ZZ Plant with 5.67%. Completing the list, Dumb Cane is popular among 5.69% of the respondents, Pothos with 4.77%, and Fiddle Fig Tree with 4.47%. Only 3.70% of the respondents don?t agree with this list at all, and their favourites, perhaps, lie somewhere else.