I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired of all the hum-drum news. It’s gardening season and since most of us are home-bound these days, why not put some fun into the mix. For instance, plants make us happy. This is a known fact and scientifically referred to as biophilia. Take a moment to think of yourself as a plant in the garden – you could even get the kids involved. What plant are you…and why?
Relating to Plants in the Garden
Here are a few examples that I got from my coworkers if you need some inspiration to get started.
Bonnie sees herself as a night-blooming Cereus, also called Queen of the Night. “That’s quite an aspiration, isn’t it? A big, beautiful desert cactus which blooms in one night and then that’s it. A one-shot wonder.” She added a little humor on the side, stating that she could also see herself as a Gunnera plant. “They look prehistoric and dangerous, but they are not – big and menacing maybe but gorgeous.”
Becca sees herself as one of her favorites, a succulent. “I prefer to be ignored,” she says, referencing on their ease of care. Just plant and forget. As gardeners, this can be an incredibly hard choice to make, but Amy also went with a succulent plant. “I’ve been growing succulents for years, well before the current trend. There are so many varieties with different shapes, colors and textures that it is impossible to get bored with them. Plus, they are generally low maintenance and easy to propagate.”
Liz would like to be a dandelion. “They’re small and bright and happy to grow anywhere, and while they might not be popular in every crowd, they’re really worth having around.” I couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate description. Meanwhile, Stacey chose a hydrangea simply because she loves them, and Laura said “I’d want to be a tall sunflower. As a human, I’m vertically challenged. As a sunflower, I could tower over all the plants in the garden and follow the sun from morning until dawn.”
And then, of course, there’s me. I’m different, always have been. I don’t go along with the mainstream and I like to bend the rules in the garden. Like Laura, I’m also vertically challenged, so my plant choice would have to be a climber, specifically a passion vine. The passion flower, which is unusual but beautiful, is known to have a number of benefits, calming one’s mind among them. I see myself as a friend that you can count on to calm those nerves. At the same time, passion vines have a stubborn streak and can be difficult to train (or conform). And I’m extremely passionate, especially when it comes to gardening or friends and family.
All of us connect to plants in the garden in some way. Maybe you’re drawn to a particular plant. Perhaps you relate by sharing similar characteristics. Whatever it may be, it’s fun to think about cause plants make us happy. And can also be a great way to help kids find their own connections to the plant world.
So, what plant are you?
