Joe Bagley lives in Loughborough with his Border Collie, Meggie and over 1,400 houseplants…
Known online as ‘The Houseplant Doctor,’ he is a regular presenter on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World Live, where he talks about his passion for plants and their ability to improve mental health.
“The therapeutic effect of growing plants and the bond which comes from nurturing them is something which has always appealed,” said the green-fingered 24 year-old, who has been open about his mental health struggles with his 50,000 Instagram followers.
“I’ve had my plants for a number of years and have developed a bit of a sixth sense for knowing when they need my attention and things like that.”
Joe’s love of plants was nurtured from a young age, and as a boy he could often be found helping his beloved Gran in her garden. After she gifted him a Spider Plant, aged 13, he took to horticulture like a duck to water and never looked back.
During the Coronavirus lockdown he built a strong following on social media, giving advice to budding gardeners and building up his successful ‘Houseplant Doctor’ brand.
In 2018 he bought a converted coachhouse and turned it into an ‘urban jungle’ by welcoming hundreds of photosynthesising friends – filling up every available floorspace, bookshelf, table, the staircase and even his bath with plants!
“I like the way they take away the harsh 90 degree angles of rooms – and also things like tables and TVs. They make a house more fluid looking,” he says. “The cool natural tones of green, together with the pots – it all links together and makes a really nice display…”
Numerous studies done on houseplants over the years, have found that they have a great affect on stress levels when placed in a room.
According to Joe, students with plants in the room can work up to 15 per cent more efficiently and the pain threshold of hospital patients is increased (slightly) when plants are placed in the room.
“There was also a study completed with Amazon, which suggested the positive affect that plants have on working environments. They compared two offices – one in America and one in India. One had lots of houseplants, plus trees and plants in the area which employees could view from the windows.
“These people had a better work environment – they were more positive and had a better opinion on Amazon as an employer”, said Joe.
“So yeah, there are lots of weird and wonderful examples of how plants can help us – both mentally and physically…”
Joe is currently in the process of writing a book of tips for looking after houseplants. It should be available early next year.
For updates, visit: www.ukhouseplants.com or follow @ukhouseplants on Instagram.
