It’s often the details that make home home, whether it’s a painting on the wall, a vase grandma gave you on the coffee table, or a hydrangea bush by the entrance.
The latter is one of the things that made the redditor u/ClassicAct’s dwelling feel like home. She said it was part of the cottage’s charm, which is why she wasn’t too happy about previous owners wanting to take it away. Scroll down to find the full story in the OP’s words.
Landscaping helps to create a nice environment for one to live in
Image credits: samjoco (not the actual photo)
Previous homeowners asked this person if they could take the hydrangea bushes from the property
Image credits: Polina Zimmerman (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ClassicAct
Green areas have a positive effect on one’s well-being
With the help of landscaping, homeowners can create an even more pleasant environment to live in; and it’s no surprise that our surroundings affect the way we feel, which encourages us to look after them. Research suggests that it can have an effect on our psychological well-being by altering our levels of stress or even changing brain structure and function to a certain extent, making it all the more reason to take proper care of our surroundings.
Other scholars also support the idea that the environment affects our stress levels, especially green areas, which are very important for health promotion. Physician with a PhD in landscape planning and public health, Matilda van den Bosch, pointed out that, “In general, people seem to find natural fractals aesthetically pleasing, and several studies have suggested that this may induce activity in brain regions associated with a state of tranquility.”
Nature’s positive effect on one’s well-being can be a motivating factor to take a walk in the forest, visit a nearby park, or even create a green space right by their home. According to Ruby Home, more than half of households in the US have a garden, and as many as 55% of Americans reportedly garden in order to create a beautiful environment.
Image credits: Rene Asmussen (not the actual photo)
It’s not only objects that make a house feel like home
Gardening not only encourages people to spend time outdoors, but brings additional benefits as well, such as an increase in physical activity, intake of vitamin D, and in some cases, even social interaction. According to a 2018 study, it can help restore dexterity and strength, burn calories, and enable people to counteract social isolation if taken up as a group activity.
But it’s not only the results of gardening that make a person’s environment feel more like home; it can be the actions leading up to them as well. A publication covering the correlation between psychological home and well-being suggested that even though the building and objects in or around it may boast sentimental value, activities also play a major role in turning a dwelling into a home. “They enhance the construction of a sense of personal identity anchored to the surrounding environment. Everyday experiences contribute to the construction of a ‘sense of place’, with reference to both everyday environments and the wider residential and territorial context.”
That means it’s likely not only hydrangea bushes themselves that have become an inseparable part of the OP’s understanding of home, but also any activity related to it, be it taking care of or marveling at it. It might have been the same with the previous owners, who said the plants had sentimental value; however, the OP and some of the redditors in the comments were surprised that it took them two years to realize it.
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
The OP provided more information in the comments
The online community believed giving the plants away is a bad idea
Some redditors shared similar stories
The post “Bought The Property, Landscaping Included”: Woman Shocked By Ex-Homeowner’s Request 2 Years Later first appeared on Bored Panda.