Photo: (Loloi Rugs/Loloi Rugs)
I wrote an essay for the L.A. Times about how plants are helping me cope with the “physical distancing” and the stay-at-home measures we are all navigating right now. During this time my plants provide much comfort and routine and being connected to nature feels more important than ever. My hope is that this article will inspire you to connect with nature more and get into at-home gardening, it’s truly therapeutic.
“Plants are keeping me sane right now. I’ve known about the magic of plants since I was 13, when my psychologist parents were teaching at a university in Switzerland. One weekend we visited the family home of a colleague of theirs. One of their daughters was on the autism spectrum, and her bedroom was full of plants — cascading from the sloped ceiling, filling the shelves and covering every horizontal surface. It was magical. Her mother explained that plants soothed her. They soothed me too. So for years I’ve filled my home with plants. And while I tend to them, they tend to me too.
I don’t have a therapist, but I talk to my tillandsia. She’s a good listener and helps me clear the air, figuratively and literally. I can’t meet my girlfriends IRL for a drink these days, but I can hydrate with Ficus Audrey. She’s very low maintenance, unlike many of my human girlfriends.
And while my dear friends’ baby showers are canceled, I FaceTime with them while misting my pilea and reap a whole lot of happiness when the little pilea babies sprout from the soil.And when I need spiritual guidance, I turn to my Maranta leuconeura. Every evening, his leaves fold together in prayer. He’s more devout than I am — I swear he prays all night long! — but his daily ritual reminds me of the natural rhythms of this crazy world: night and day, life and death, sickness and health. I need these reminders. Plants are friends, preachers, teachers, healers and therapists.”
Head over to the L.A. Times to read the rest of the article.
Sending much jungalicious love and air-hugs to you all.