Hello! from Bombadil

Imagine a brisk winter's day. The cold gray skies, the dry chapped air, the melancholy silence of bare oaks, creaking poplars and frigid maples. The stoic pines stand an evergreen vigil outside your doorstep. You cross the threshold of your home stamping the winter from your boots as the warm verdant breeze of your tropical refuge caresses your face. The rich notes of peat and brown earth fill your nose as a rejuvenating summer zephyr curls through your hair. This curated kaleidoscope of plants awaits you at home, a jungle sanctuary of your very own.

The perennial givers, plants provide the foundation for so much of our environment.  Listing their positive effects upon the world would prove an endless endeavor, here is what they have given to me.  They are my loved ones, my caregivers, my teachers, my hideaway when I can really use a vacation, even my therapist! It has been shown that people can recover from illness faster while in the presence of plants. Perhaps that is why we send plants and flowers to our loved ones in times of need. Studies have found that houseplants can improve concentration and productivity, reduce stress levels and even boost your mood!  Well then, would could refuse them?!

As natural air purifiers, plants filter the very air we breathe, converting the environment of your home into a clean, oxygen rich paradise.They also add humidity to the rooms of your home, which can be a welcome relief from New Jersey's dry winter months.  Environmental engineers have designed entire HVAC systems that use plants as the air circulation systems for multi-floor office buildings, putting their natural abilities to work removing unwanted toxins.  A rooftop garden meanwhile can help to keep buildings cooler in the summer and reduce energy costs while also improving air quality by converting CO2 into oxygen. These magnificent multitaskers should be a part of all our lives. 

Observing a plant as it responds to our touch, our care, our love, helps to remind us of our interdependence for survival and prosperity. If we listen to the Ents of long ago, we might even grow ourselves.

Be kind to your plants because they are doing more for you than you can see.

Need help with your plants?  Need more plants?

 Early Autumn, 2020