Great Resources
Useful tools to help you improve the health of your landscape
Your Brain on Nature
For those of us who are plant geeks, it’s an easy decision to pick up yet another plant book on Amazon or at our local bookstore. There are so many great books on plants (some of my favs on native plants were written by the brilliant William Cullina, now the Executive Director of Coastal Maine Botanical Garden). But, we garden mavens rarely explore books on nature or ecology. Here is a “nature” book that is well worth reading: Your Brain on Nature: The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Healthy, Happiness, and Vitality. The authors are Eva Selhub and Alan Logan. Dr. Selhub is a Clinical Associate of the Benson Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Alan Logan is a naturopathic doctor and researcher.
Your Brain on Nature is touted as an antidote for the technology-addicted (most of us!) and quite fascinating. The author’s explore biophilia, the human bond with nature, and reveal how being in nature not only makes us feel better, but contributes to our physical health. One chapter cites “forest bathing” studies in Japan which “have confirmed that spending time within a forest setting can reduce psychological stress, depressive symptoms, and hostility, while at the same time improving sleep and increasing both vigor and a feeling of liveliness.”
If you needed another reason to take a walk in the woods or dig in your garden, this book will provide it!
More Great Resources
Lasagna Gardening
There are a number of classic gardening books that have helped changed they way we garden. One such book is Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza, that explains a simple, yet powerful way to prepare plant beds organically. The book’s title borrows from the way lasagna is made – using a…
Later Blooming Native Plants to Help Bees
We have over 4,000 species of native bees in the United States, not including the European honey bee. Many of these bee species, including the honey bee, have suffered dramatic declines over the past decade. We can all help bees in our own landscapes by providing 3 seasons of bloom. …
Useful Native Plant Databases
You have heard how important native plants are to our environment, but how do you find out which plants are native to your area and support your local ecosystem? One important resource is your state or local native plant society or native plant group, such as The Native Plant Center…