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TV’s Dr. Oz recommends herbs for maldies ranging from bad skin to sleeplessness, so why not grow some herbs on your sunny windowsill? It’s that time of the year for winter blues and, worse, winter colds.
If you are having trouble breaking out of the frozen funk, invest in a good old-fashioned house plant – and not just the smokeable kind.
Plants circulate and filter air
Because DU is great about circulating warm air around the tiny dorm rooms on campus, especially in Centennial Halls, it’s impossible for your room to ever become stuffy, right?
Jokes aside, when it’s too cold to open the windows for long, houseplants are a great alternative. Not only do plants respirate and replace oxygen in the room, but several studies, including one in October in Environmental Health Perspectives, show that they can remove toxins such as mercury, formaldehyde and smoke from the air.
Not that there would ever be smoke in your dorm room.
Add humidity to the air
If you haven’t noticed, Colorado is slightly drier than the more low-lying, coastal areas of the U.S. (“Slightly” meaning that the skin on your face starts to peel off after a walk to the light rail station). However, if you can’t be bothered investing in a humidifier, a study in the Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences showed that plants may be used instead of humidifiers for adding moisture to offices and homes.
Humidifiers can release microbes and mineral deposits into the air. In addition to increasing humidity by about 10 percent, plants transpire mineral-free moisture that appears to contain substances that suppress the growth of microbes. Talk about win-win.
Fight colds
Because plants remove microbes and add moisture to the air, they do double-duty to fight colds. Asthma attacks and allergies were also mitigated in some studies.
Learn better
Research is being done at Oregon State University to show that children who experience stress and directed attention fatigue can benefit from having houseplants in classrooms.
According to the study, contact with nature may allow the brain to rest and restore, thereby allowing renewed ability to focus. In addition to the satisfaction of caring for another living thing, you may feel an extra all-natural boost to finish your midterms.
Add flavor to all your meals
Ever wonder why dining hall food is so bland? Pondering why the Ramen noodle diet is starting to get old?
Probably not. But herbs derive their aromatic and flavor properties from essential oils, which tend to evaporate quickly. Thus, food that is not fresh, especially dried, can be leeched of flavor. If you opt to grow your own, you’ll get better flavor from a cheaper, sustainable source. They grow well on a windowsill with a little water.
Survive the apocalypse
If you’re behind on planning for the Dec. 21 apocalypse, start potting plants now. You can buy potted bamboo, which can be used for fishing poles, lightbulb filaments, floors, fibers, food and even reinforcing concrete.
From your windowsill herb garden, stock up on thyme and lemon grass. Thyme oil has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. You may know lemongrass oil as citronella, used to repel bugs.
If you are into ornamentals, purified sunflower oil can be used as efficient diesel fuel. Periwinkles have been used to treat diabetes, lymphoma and leukemia. The autumn crocus also has cancer-fighting properties.
Of course, the aloe plant grows well indoors and has soothing and healing properties for rashes and burns.
Cover up the smell of your roommate’s leftovers, laundry and latrine
Fragrant flowers, close quarters. Enough said.
Most houseplants are very low-maintenance, needing to be watered two times a day or less. All this makes them an easy way to be healthier, happier and more productive through the tough winter months, while adding color and spice to your routine.
