Forest Green Rovers turn to plants to help combat stress

Forest Green Rovers turn to plants to help combat stress

This week is Stress Awareness Week (2–6 November), a timely reminder of the importance of managing stress and protecting our mental wellbeing. New research highlights how indoor plants can help create calmer environments, with renowned houseplant expert and designer Ian Drummond bringing this message to life through a unique installation at Forest Green Rovers football club.

Known for their distinctive green shirts, Forest Green Rovers have taken the club’s colour scheme a step further – bringing plenty more green into the changing room. More than 60 houseplants have been introduced into the club’s home changing room, adding a natural touch to the players’ surroundings and offering a welcome moment of calm before kick-off and at half-time.

The initiative forms part of a project involving Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland and sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry, exploring how plants can help support players’ wellbeing in a high-pressure sporting environment. It is a fresh take on tackling stress, with a little help from nature right where it matters most.

The installation carried out by Ian Drummond, working on behalf of Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland. Bringing his extensive experience in interior plants to the project, Ian was delighted to demonstrate how planting can transform an unconventional space and create a more welcoming environment.

The changing room is a space associated with intense preparation, anticipation and competition, adding natural colour and texture can only be beneficial to the players’ surroundings. Whether preparing for kick-off or regrouping at half-time, the plants offer a visual connection with nature at moments when pressure can run high.

A passionate advocate for the benefits of plants indoors, Ian was delighted to demonstrate how planting can transform an unconventional space and create a more welcoming environment.

“As a football fan myself, I loved the idea of bringing plants into a football changing room. It’s a place where players prepare for the pressure and excitement of the game, so why not make it a little greener and more welcoming? With more than 60 plants, we’ve brought a real connection with nature into the room. Hopefully, they will help the players relax, reset and feel ready for the action. And, of course, the green looks right at home at Forest Green Rovers!”

The Forest Green Rovers installation comes at a time when research is drawing attention to the potential role of houseplants in supporting wellbeing.

According to Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland research 52% of respondents identified attending a job interview as one of their most stressful experiences, while 50% cited having a difficult conversation. Spending time outdoors in nature was identified as a reliable way to relieve stress by 32% of respondents. Meanwhile, 30% said that living houseplants in a room noticeably reduced their stress levels and helped restore a sense of calm.

With so much of our time spent indoors, bringing nature into everyday surroundings offers a practical way to strengthen our connection with the natural world.

Research into human interaction with plants suggests that they can support psychological wellbeing, with studies reporting improvements in mood, reduced stress and better attention in some settings. Their natural shapes, colours and textures can also soften interiors that might otherwise feel hard or impersonal.

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