• Daily Stress ReLeaf,  Plants & Happiness

    #6 A Ridiculously Easy Way to Relax With Trees

    Street With Trees, A Ridiculously Easy Way to Relax With Trees, Daily Stress ReLeaf, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2021/02/18/relax-with-trees, #relaxation #stress #trees #fractalpatterns #mentalhealth #plants #nature #city #destressing #walking

    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 that our eyes are naturally in sync with, where a simple design repeats itself over and over to form a complex whole. That complex whole can exist in several ways in nature. One of the most common is in tree…

  • Daily Stress ReLeaf

    #5 Frazzled? Look at These 3 Relaxing Plant Images

    Leaf Pattern, Frazzled? Look at These 3 Relaxing Plant Images, Daily Stress ReLeaf, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2021/02/16/relaxing-plant-images/, #dailystressreleaf #leafpattern #fractalpattern #green #plants #relaxation #destressing

    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 allow yourself to sit and gaze at a fractal pattern, you’ll refuel your brain’s tank. The hardest part is switching your attention away from the worrisome task at hand. And the more stressed you are, the harder it is. I…

  • Plants & Gardening

    Fake or Real, How to Help the Environment with a Christmas Tree

    Christmas Tree, Fake or Real, How to Help the Environment with a Christmas Tree, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2020/01/21/christmas-tree/ #fakeorrealChristmastree #Christmastree #Christmas #trees #treefarm

    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 ecosystem. So, I bought a plastic tree and have re-used it for years. But then I thought about how plastic is made from oil. I don’t want to support oil companies. I considered all of the angles, read a bunch…

  • Inspiration

    How to Bend and Be Resilient

    Robert Jordan Quote, How to Bend and Be Resilient, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2019/06/16/how-to-bend-and-be-resilient/ #quotes #RobertJordan #resilient #resilience #inspiration

    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?

  • Plants & Gardening

    In a Woodland Border, Plants Struggle in the Sun and Sandy Soil

    Woodland Border, In a Woodland Border, Plants Struggle in the Sun and Sandy Soil, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2019/06/15/dry-woodland-border/ #woodlandborder #dry #gardening #plants #garden #fullsun #trees

    Along the back fence of my garden I have a tricky spot. A dry woodland border of sun that’s tucked under fir trees. The ravine behind the fence slopes up and the fence intersects where the wild woodland ends and my cultivated area begins. So it’s the edge of a woodland, but sunny, and hot. Very very hot. The soil is sandy and drains instantly. Growing plants there has been difficult. Sandy Acidic Soil in Full Sun Normally, we Northwest gardeners don’t mind soil that’s sandy or acidic. It’s better…