Pardon me for revisiting 2020 but it’s been a catalyst for so many new ways of looking at life and all that goes with it so… I just had to! Point of observation: House Plants. The thing that triggered me to write this article was an amazing sight I saw while visiting a local native nursery to jump start my Spring. I observed a line of people in the parking lot. Vaccination site? Surplus Toilet Paper supply? New brewery? Donut shop? No, no no, and NO! These people were lined up to get into the house plant section and their Plant Bar! I had heard of this phenomena and decided to look into it. This wasn’t about green beer or drinks, they sell house plants! That prompted me to look a little deeper into the jungle of House Plants. Here are some of the virtues of house plants extolled. Not my words:
1) Breathe better purified air.
2) Reduce ambient stress.
3) They help you recover from illness quicker.
4) Boost your productivity. And
5) They sharpen your attention.
Big promises from little plants. Google “The benefits of houseplants” and you’ll see a lot more science-based as well as “woo woo” benefits of houseplants.
All said, big promises from little plants. Now, you know where I’m going with this. I’m talking about “HomePlants” or as we arborists refer to them, Trees! If the earth is our home, trees are the HomePlants! They provide all the benefits discussed above and on an exponentially larger scale. You don’t need to hear it from me. Please go online and look into it yourself. I’m sure you’ve heard the Japanese even have rituals about walking in the woods. They call it ‘Forest Bathing”.
If you’ve got a home full of houseplants or have tried, you know the attention they need and the reward they provide. So… what have you done or thought about when it comes to your HomePlants? Please go outside and ask yourself and your trees, How can I help you? Would you like some “Green Beer” for trees? Like fertilizer? I said a resounding yes for myself and my trees and they’ll be fertilized in the next two weeks to help with the new post pandemic Spring growing season. In the meantime, I’ll try some timely St. Patrick’s day Green Beer for my birthday! Here’s to mud in your eye!
Patrick George, Proprietor, Benevolent Dictator & Older than most urban trees!