This Mental Health Awareness Week, WWF is sharing one of the simplest, most accessible ways to support your inner self, whilst protecting the world outside – and it can start with a single pot on a windowsill.

Just 20 minutes a day in nature, that’s all it takes – according to research underpinning WWF’s ‘A Prescription for Nature’ campaign – to lower stress, calm anxiety, and boost your mood. Yet for many, nature feels out of reach. Whether it’s the concrete sprawl of urban life, the relentless pace of daily routines, or worry around belonging and safety, many people are missing out on nature’s simple yet profound benefits.

So, what if you could bring more nature to you – no matter where you live?

From backyards to balconies, bathrooms and windowsills, anyone can access the joy of pocket-sized growing in their personal space. From pollinator-friendly paradises, balcony veg plots, herbs in a pot or a peace lily soaking up the shower steam, cultivating plants and food at home offers more than visual delight – it’s a daily dose of nature offering calm, connection, and care.

“Adding a houseplant to your home isn’t going to change the world,” says Lauren Wiseman, WWF’s sustainability lead – and an avid home grower. “However, it will bring you closer to nature, help you feel less stress, and improve the quality of the air around you.” She adds: “People who feel connected to nature are more likely to take action to protect the environment. Having houseplants can be a first step.”

Lauren shares advice on tending to your leaves and stems, how it can benefit your physical and mental space, while WWF’s People and Nature advisor Benedict Dempsey highlights the difference a plant can make for the urban ecosystem as spring welcomes new life around us.

Growing to feel good

Caring for a plant invites a slower, more sensory way of engaging with the world.

For Lauren Wiseman, Sunday plant care has become a ritual. “It’s a form of mindfulness,” she explains. “I put on some calming music and get all the plants together – cleaning their leaves, removing any pests, topping up their soil, giving them some water, trimming off any dead leaves…These are living beings, dependent on you, and it feels so rewarding when they’re thriving and happy, putting out new leaves.”

The act of tending creates beneficial conditions for everything else – “they’re absorbing your carbon dioxide and giving you oxygen in return – a perfect symbiosis,” she says.

Lauren recommends beginners start with the basics: water, light and air – “If you’re just getting started, there’s no need to get weighed down with concerns about humidity and nutrition,” she says. “Put your finger into the soil – if it’s dry one inch below the top, it needs a drink. Saving up rainwater is best, but if that’s not possible, use ‘old’ tap water (from a glass left overnight) or water from boiled vegetables, but it must be unsalted and cooled.

“Dust clogs pores and blocks photosynthesis – give plants space and clean their leaves with a wet paper towel,” Lauren advises. “Treat them with the same attentiveness you’d want for yourself, and they tend to reward you.”

Good for you – good for them

Growing at home isn’t just an act of self-care – it can also be a generous act for the ecosystem.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world – one in six species is at risk of extinction, and wildlife populations have declined by 73% since 1970. The pressures of habitat loss, pollution and climate change are pushing species to their limits.

Butterflies are sadly among the most affected locally. Fifty years of data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme tells a stark story – populations are in serious decline across the country, half of the UK’s butterfly species are at risk of extinction. Habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to pollinators, leaving them with nowhere to land or feed. But an outdoor pot of lavender, a window box of native wildflowers, or a handful of vibrant crocus bulbs in peat-free compost can all make useful stepping stones for insects navigating the city’s concrete expanses.

“City life presents plenty of challenges for wildlife… If we choose to share our space, something wild might just move in…