Lu Yuquan is a well-known gardening expert from mainland China. He talked about the fun of planting. "Planting makes your homes look nice for better quality of life. The entire process, including maintenance and pruning, is an EQ training."
Planting is a good way of maintaining family harmony, said Lu. "You need to know the special needs of a species before you can take care of it properly. In a family, too, we need to understand each others' needs, in order to communicate well for a harmonious family."
Planting is interactive and can involve many parties. "By planting together, we understand the species better, while at the same time we also get to understand each other better. So planting together benefits the family."
Another speaker Liang Shiling is also a Bonsai expert from mainland China. He said that there's scientific proof that greenery stabilizes mood. "Green is a colour that makes people feel calm and comfortable. It stabilizes emotions, reduces eye pressure, benefits muscular elasticity and heals dizziness, fatigue, nausea and depressions." He said that planting can also keep people from other common urban syndromes like insomnia and anxiety.
Lu recommended busy Hong Kong people to keep easy-to-manage species like Pothos and Ivy League or the xerophyte Cactus. By planting these tough species, people can learn from their resilience. Alternatively, floral arrangement can be fun as well, since parents and children can do it together, which also benefits children's aesthetic and artistic appreciation.
