#28 Three Wonderful but Small Deciduous Trees to Remember Lost Loved Ones
I realized in my post about small trees to remember a lost loved one by, I only included conifers. So today, let me correct that oversight and highlight three wonderful but small deciduous trees. Coral Bark Maple This little maple tree (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-Kaku’) sports coral colored stems in winter,…
#27 Does Being in Greenery Alleviate Covid Depression?
European researchers recently conducted a survey of 323 Bulgarian students to learn whether seeing greenery in or near their home helped them avoid sadness and depression during Covid. Though it was a study where subjects self-reported symptoms, they found some interesting answers about greenery and depression. One Dose of a…
#26 Three Wonderful But Small Trees to Remember Lost Loved Ones
For me, March 11th, 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of our Covid-19 lockdown. At this time last year, my kids were packing for a marching band trip to Ireland that sadly never happened. Schools closed and our lives changed drastically. Though we lost loved ones, they weren’t from Covid but…
#24 The Amazing Effects of Forest Bathing
By now, you may have heard of forest bathing. Though it has a dreamy Western name, it’s really just the act of mindfully walking among trees. Researchers started investigating its health benefits in 2004. Dr. Qing Li, a professor and immunologist at Nippon Medical School and vice president of the…
#6 A Ridiculously Easy Way to Relax With Trees
So yesterday I talked about looking at plant photos as a way to relax. Today, I’m going to offer an easy way to relax with trees. First, we need to refer back to the benefits of looking at fractal patterns, which I explored the other day. These are the patterns…
#5 Frazzled? Look at These 3 Relaxing Plant Images
Yesterday, I talked about fractal patterns and how they can reduce stress. Today, I want to share a few of those relaxing plant images. We know from research that constantly switching our attention back and forth, which we usually do during stressful times, creates mental exhaustion. So if you can…
Fake or Real, How to Help the Environment with a Christmas Tree
These past couple of years, I’ve wondered whether a fake or real Christmas tree is better for the environment. Being a gardener, I want to do what’s right for our planet. Initially, I used real trees but then thought cutting down a live tree removed an oxygen-producing plant from our…
How to Bend and Be Resilient
I've been thinking about how to be resilient this weekend, how to bounce back from challenges and setbacks. On one day, you encounter obstacles and the stresses of life. Stuff that's important that may not work out. Important stuff. So what helps us recover?
