HEALING ‘CORONA BLUES’ WITH PLANTS

[Anchor Lead]

With the pandemic going on for nearly 2 years now, we often spend more time at home. During this time, depression and fatigue can be a concern. A growing number of people are battling that by raising plants. Take a look.

[Pkg]

105, 106, 110.. then 115 and 116... Every flower pot has a three digit number and each plant has a green tag. This is what’s called a pet plant hotel.

[Soundbite] "It’s the same as us checking into a hotel room. It’s like a voucher. This is a hotel after all, a plant hotel."

The varieties are also wide ranging from tiny ones the size of your hand to trees that are over a meter tall. The hotel opened 2 years ago and it houses various plant inhabitants.

[Soundbite] Lee Lan-geun(Plant hotel manager) : "When you have precious plants but will be away for a while. That’s when customers come here to entrust their plants. Traffic was heavy before the pandemic, slowed during the outbreak but gained steamed again recently."

As businesses adopted telecommuting due to the pandemic, more and more people are choosing plants to help keep them company at home. This new trend is also confirmed in surveys. In a survey by the Rural Development Administration, five out of 10 respondents said their interest in pet plants has increased since the start of COVID-19.

[Soundbite] Heo Yeon-ee(Seoul Resident) : "I’m growing more different species now. Flowers and trees are always beside me and around me. They really are my pet. It’s a fitting term."

Home gardening related sales are sharply up and the retail sector is also expanding product lineups in accordance. With the pandemic dragging on for two years, people are tired of distancing. They are trying to fight Covid blues and depression through raising plants.