Growing and maintaining plant life at home is becoming one of the most popular pastimes that we are occupying ourselves with these days. Whether we are living in rural areas with expansive backyards or in tiny apartments in the heart of cities, we are, in one way or another, growing plant life in our homes. As such, it has become a common trend for us to invest much of our money in landscaping supply and much of our time under the sun and tending to our garden. But why is that? What made this passionate plant culture what it is today? These are three reasons why.
Transitioning to a Plant-based Diet
Today, many of us know at least one person who has given up eating all kinds of meat. They may be vegetarian or vegan. But any kind of meat that comes from a live animal is off the table for them. In reality, according to Statistica, 7.5 percent of millennials and gen Z individuals consider themselves to be vegetarians while three percent of them consider themselves as vegans. On the other hand, only 2.5 percent of U.S. residents who are over the age of 50 consider themselves as a vegetarian. It’s clear with these numbers that maintaining a plant-based diet is much more popular with the younger generation.
To cater to the growing population of plant-based eaters, food companies have started selling more meat-free products and alternatives. The sales value of meat-free products reached about $210 million in 2018.
Because of the reliance on plant-based foods, more and more people have started seeing the benefits of growing their own food in their own backyards. It saves them more money, allows them to enjoy the fun activity of gardening, and ensures them of the safety of their food.
Growing Concerns for the Environment
According to the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of adults living in the United States believe that the President and Congress should prioritize bills and initiatives that would protect the environment and fight the effects of climate change. This is according to a survey conducted in 2020. And this percentage is significantly higher than the percentage ten years ago. In 2010, only 41 percent believed that environmental degradation is a cause for major concern.
Because of the growing concerns for the environment, more people are seeing the rate of carbon emissions that the food industry creates. Sure, we can transition to a plant-based diet to help mitigate the carbon emissions that the meat industry, specifically, creates. But we also know now that more steps in the food production process—no matter what the food—can lead to more carbon emissions, from farms to packaging to distribution to waste management.
As such, we started to see the benefits of growing our own food in our garden. By doing so, we are helping in limiting the carbon emissions that have occurred — and will continue to occur — when we buy our fruits and vegetables. Thus, more people are starting to grow their own basil, lemons, chili, and other foods on their own.
Coping with COVID-19
When the pandemic started, our everyday lives have been disrupted drastically. Business establishments have closed their doors and people were forced to stay at home. Even an activity as mundane as going to the supermarket to pick up some groceries has become such a hassle and hazardous activity. Because of the need to practice social distancing, markets were strict about limiting the people entering their premises at a time. We had to fall in line for a few hours just to pick our basic essentials. Thus, many of us started to become discouraged to go to the market on a regular basis.
Another major reason why we began avoiding markets is, of course, the health hazard. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, many of us were just too hesitant to go out in public and risk getting the coronavirus.
This is why many of us began resorting to planting our own food. It limits our need to go to the market. And it helps in securing our food supply. Finding ways to occupy our minds while we quarantine at home is also a common reason why planting became a popular hobby lately.
If we are to choose a healthy, fun, and satisfying hobby, then we can’t go wrong with gardening. Not only will we be able to grow our own food, but we would also be able to actually enjoy the feeling of creating and sustaining life in our own home. Ultimately, this is the reason why plant culture has—and will—continue to grow and become more popular.
