Seoul's Seongdong-gu district is rolling out a companion plant distribution program aimed at easing depression and stress among elderly residents while boosting their emotional stability and overall vitality, district Mayor Yoo Bo-hwa announced.
Companion plants have drawn growing attention as everyday therapeutic resources that go beyond simple decoration, offering emotional comfort and psychological recovery. Research by the Rural Development Administration and other institutions indicates that tending to plants has a positive effect on reducing stress and depression while improving life satisfaction.
In response, the district will run the companion plant program through November, giving seniors the chance to bond with plants and find daily vitality and emotional calm through the act of caring for them.
The program targets 118 residents aged 65 and older who use the district's customized senior care service. Certified horticultural therapists will visit participants at home to deliver the plants and provide care education and follow-up support. Plants will be selected based on each senior's preferences and living environment, and participants will receive guidance on watering schedules and other care tips to keep their plants healthy.
Horticultural therapy specialists will also make regular home visits to check on plant growth and advise on care, ensuring the program goes beyond a one-time distribution and becomes a sustained channel for ongoing support and emotional connection.
The district also plans to conduct depression-scale assessments and satisfaction surveys before and after the plant distribution to systematically evaluate the program's effectiveness.
Through the initiative, the district hopes seniors will gain not only emotional stability and psychological vitality from tending to their plants but also stronger social connections and an improved quality of life.
"Companion plants can become precious partners that offer seniors emotional comfort and a renewed sense of vitality," district Mayor Yoo said. "We will continue to support healthy and happy lives for our elderly residents through a range of green welfare programs that make use of plants, and we will work to spread a culture of everyday gardening throughout the community."
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