NEDERLAND — Did you know today is Take Your Houseplant For A Walk Day?

Don’t be surprised if you didn’t.

Cook’s Nursery and Landscaping owner Leslie Cook was unaware of the holiday celebrated every July 27. In fact, her response — “it’s a bit off the wall” — is typical of most people when they first learn of the annual celebration.

“It does sound odd. I don’t know why they would come up with a name like that, but it’s probably more about people paying attention to their houseplants,” Cook said. “Because if you are taking your houseplants for a walk, then you are paying attention to them.”

And that’s the point.

Take Your Houseplant For A Walk Day is a day for enthusiastic plant growers to take their plants for a walk with a goal of securing additional sunlight for the foliage and interacting with the surrounding environment.

Celebration or not, plant and flower lovers know this time of year can be difficult because of the relentless Southeast Texas sun.

Enter Esperanza plants.

“If someone wants color, Esperanza is one of the best things for around here,” Cook said. “It has bright yellow flowers. It’s one of the better plants for the hot weather months.”

The veteran Nederland businesswoman and flower aficionado noted Crepe Myrtles are always popular.

“There are some of those now that only get two feet tall,” Cook said. “There are a lot of choices these days.”

It’s not a houseplant, but one of Cook’s personal favorites is Bougainvillea, “because they bloom so much. It’s an outside plant.”

“They have so many different colors and there are so many different ways they grow,” Cook added. “Once you learn them, you can get them to bloom amazingly, actually.”

Still not inspired to up your houseplant display this holiday?

A study from researchers in the Netherlands took two groups of participants that were asked to complete a stressful task and then instructed to either read indoors or garden outdoors for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, the latter group had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and even reported being in a better mood than the group instructed to read indoors.

Houseplants can also work wonders when it comes to improving overall health by removing toxins from air.

Clean indoor air is important for everyone, but especially so for those who suffer from respiratory ailments like asthma.

Aloe vera might be most often associated with hand creams and hand soaps, but the aloe vera plant, a succulent plant that even novice gardeners should have no problem growing, can clear indoor air of formaldehyde and benzene, two common byproducts of chemical-based cleaners many people use in their homes.

Gardening has been proven to be a soothing hobby that can help reduce stress. The health benefits of gardening can extend indoors as well.

If you have questions, the experts at Cook’s Nursery and Landscaping can help. They are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

Call 409-724-2665 for more information.

Take Your Houseplant For A Walk Day might just be your intro to less stress and healthier living.