Could Your Kitchen Use Some Houseplants? They May Help Beat Cabin Fever, According To Research

Many people struggle with the winter blues, brought on by short, cold, dark days and a lack of outdoor activity. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is actually a thing, which affects nearly 10 million people in the U.S. and can last up to four or five months. This is especially tough for those of us who love gardening, as spring cannot come fast enough. But according to certain studies, houseplants can help alleviate the effects of cabin fever and seasonal depression. 

Adding plants to the three rooms in which you spend the most time, including the kitchen, will make a big difference in your mood and will instantly make your kitchen feel cozier. Of course, having an indoor herb garden on a windowsill makes perfect sense for the kitchen, but don't discount common houseplants, which can add a lush and peaceful atmosphere. 

Plants are at the center of the biophilic design trend, in which natural materials are used inside the home to invoke a sense of the outdoors. There are lots of houseplants that you can add to your kitchen, but it's important to know which will do best in an environment with fluctuating temperatures. The amount of light might not be ideal, and space might be at a premium, too.

Not everyone has the luxury of a large, sunlit kitchen or the budget to fill it up with plants, but there are lots of low-maintenance, low-budget ways to get your hands in the dirt and benefit your mental health through indoor gardening. 

If your problem is a kitchen that doesn't get enough natural light, peace lilies, snake plants, and pothos ivy are among the plants that can thrive in a low-lit kitchen. They also have air-purifying qualities and can be kept in small containers to control their growth. If you have a small kitchen with little counter space, pothos are fabulous cascading down from a hanging basket or a pretty container set on an upper shelf. If you know someone who already has a pothos growing, cuttings root readily and will even grow in water.

If space is limited but you have a sunny windowsill, you can do a mix of tropical houseplants and edibles, including the herbs you use more often in your recipes, or grow some winter radishes or lettuces. If you have plenty of space and would like to grow a countertop garden in your kitchen, you could even add an adorable mini citrus tree. 

You also don't have to spend a fortune, as a cute, colorful container from a thrift shop will be great as a planter. Succulents and cacti, which don't need a lot of watering, are perfect in a mug on the windowsill and will take up very little space. Try to find a Christmas cactus, whose brightly colored blooms will add a very welcome touch of spring.