By Summer Rayne Oakes
Illustrations by Mark Conlan
Hardcover, 183 pages, 2019.
Optimism Press (Penguin Random House)
Since we’re indoors so much, it’s time to bring the outdoors in.
Don’t fret if you have no green thumb. Houseplant expert and ecologist, aptly named Summer Rayne Oakes, will guide us. She grew 1,000 houseplants in her Brooklyn, New York apartment and now has an online course, YouTube tutorial, and books on gardening.
“I want you to experience the beauty, tranquility, and joy that being in the company of plants can provide.”
Greenery can be as simple as a succulent, herb, or salvaged pot. The secret is to pay attention and show that you care; the same way you would treat a new friend.
“We only love what we notice.” Watch it and it will grow.
Summer shares her fans’ uplifting success in cultivating relationships with their plants. Her quotes, calming illustrations, and end-chapter exercises help us start to notice the plants around us—in the house, on our walks, at work.
“Observations such as these allow us to be present and have a change of pace, even if the pace around us has not altered.”
Plants change adapt to our environment to survive and we need plants to survive. The lesson: ”we too create the community and the world that we want to live in, through our energy, attitude, and everyday actions.”
— Ivy Lopez @IvyDigest
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