Yes, the dreary gray sky still hangs above Eugene and the unending rain still patters away at windows, but this is no April Fool: the delight that is the Eugene springtime is almost here.
With the arrival of spring comes the beauty of Oregon’s foliage, distractions of sunny skies and increased stress levels when spring term gets closer to its end. Luckily, there is a way to join in the beauty, remain productive and relieve stress at the same time: care for plants.
A person’s creative productivity significantly improves with the presence of one or more plants in the room, according to a 2008 study from TNO, a Netherlands-based independent research organization. The study also found that people who suffer from high stress experience a notable reduction in stress levels in a room that contains plants as compared to a room that does not.
Spring plants are as lovely as they are beneficial, so here are several ways to enjoy the benefits of gardening and greenery, even in a dungeon of an apartment or dorm room.
Feeling indoorsy
Just because there is no big backyard does not mean you cannot enjoy vegetation. There are many types of plants that grow well indoors and provide much-needed color and fresh air to a stagnant room.
Leafy plants are the best place to start, said Chris Donahue, the manager of Down to Earth Home, Garden & Gift.
“A really popular one is pothos, (it’s) something you can green up your apartment with,” she said. With its evergreen leaves and hardy nature, pothos plants display heart-shaped bright green leaves throughout the year and grow best in medium indirect light. Pothos also has aerial roots along the stem, meaning it can flow down from a hanging pot or climb along walls like a vine.
Donahue also recommends dieffenbachia plants, which has dark green and light green patterned leaves similar to the pothos. While dieffenbachia features rounder leaves and can grow successfully in partial shade, a plant known colloquially as “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue” is similar but features thinner, pointier leaves and can tolerate both dim and bright light exposure.
“It takes really hot and dry conditions and doesn’t seem to care about anything,” Donahue said, chuckling.
More delicate leafy plants include the schefflera and jade plants, both of which are often grown in the bonsai style and are easy to care for in medium sunlight.
If you have room for a plant with more height, Jeff Iak, the indoor tropicals buyer at Gray’s Garden Center, suggests trying a basic ficus or dracaena.
Ficus plants often come with braided trunks and resemble dwarf trees while the dracaena
features dozens of long, thin leaves extending in all directions.
“Those are the most popular because they’ll tolerate short periods of drought or short periods of overwatering,” Iak said.
If you are still looking to incorporate some additional color to your space, Iak recommends peace lilies or African violets. Both are “tried and true,” he said, and are fairly easy to care for once introduced to their new home.
Both Iak and Donahue agree most plants will grow wonderfully so long as a few key rules are followed: use good soil, feed your plants either granulated or liquid plant food regularly with water and make sure your plants are getting the correct amount of sunlight.
“Plants need light in order to be healthy. If you can’t get the plant close to a window, like within three feet, you need to get full spectrum bulbs,” Iak said.
Full spectrum bulbs are available for most lighting fixtures, give plants the rays they need and are also good for people affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Let’s take this outside
If you do have a bit of a backyard but aren’t allowed to mess with it because you’re renting, don’t let that stop you. There are many ways to create semi-mobile mini-gardens  that are just as rewarding as permanent, full-sized ones.
Iak’s main advice to students who want to get involved in gardening despite a lack of available yard space is basic.
“Plant what you like to eat! You’ve got to have that cherry tomato because they produce by the bucketful, and you got to have your peppers, too, but just plant what you love,” he said.
Cherry tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables grow well in black plastic pots because they thrive in the heat, but if you are feeling creative, Donahue suggests going to a local hardware store or BRING Recycling Center and finding some inexpensive whiskey barrels to plant in instead.
“Whiskey barrels make great containers for plants like spinach and lettuce and leeks and all leafy types of greens… and when we move into the warmer season that’s ideal for tomatoes and peppers,” she said.
In general, Donahue said BRING’s huge garden section is a great place to find unique garden container solutions, like old horse troughs, bathtubs and plastic water garden containers. What about an old wheelbarrow with holes drilled into it for water drainage?
“People can get really creative,” Donahue said.
Iak and Donahue both stress that what is most important is making sure vegetables and herbs get good sunlight and plant food frequently. So fill in some sort of container with all-purpose potting soil, plant your greens, and you’ll have a homegrown salad soon enough.
Greater growth
If none of these options seems doable, consider a different approach: volunteering at the FOOD for Lane County organic gardens. With three gardens open year-round — the GrassRoots Garden on Coburg Road, the Youth Farm in Springfield, and the Churchill Community Garden on Bailey Hill Road— help is always wanted, and volunteers get to be a part of something bigger than just enjoying nature and gardening.
The three gardens generate more than 140,000 pounds of organic produce each year, 90,000 of which goes to low-income households. The 50,000 pounds left are sold at a youth-run stand.
“Even if you’ve never gardened before, it’s a great place to learn. It’s fun to find out where your food actually comes from and to see it grow from start to finish,” said Dawn Marie Woodward, the events and media relations coordinator for FOOD for Lane County.
Right now, most volunteers at the gardens are planting and preparing garden beds. And because the gardens are organic, weeding is also an essential part of the process.
“Volunteering at the gardens is really easy. You just have to show up when the gardens are open. There is a sign-in sheet, so your hours get logged. It’s recommended you bring boots and gloves, but all the other tools are provided,” she said.
The three gardens’ hours vary and can be found at the FOOD for Lane County Web site , but all three are open Tuesdays through Sundays.
As springtime emerges, even apartment dwellers, dorm dwellers, frustrated renters or first-time gardeners can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of caring for fresh plants; and sometimes there are more benefits than initially realized.
“Gardening is a way to be self-sufficient. At FOOD for Lane County, we not only want to help people when they need emergency food, but we want to be able to give people the knowledge and skills to be successful on their own. Gardening is one of the ways we do that,” Woodward said.
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