By Ellen Presley
Special to the Record
It all started with an article by David Domoney, a British horticulturist and garden celebrity who was conducting a five-year survey of which plants make people happy.
We all know that being in the garden, or around plants can boost our serotonin levels and reduce stress and depression. But I got to thinking, which plants are a person鈥檚 favourite and why? So I started my own survey: asking my family, friends and staff. The answers were so varied and the conversations were fascinating. The stories of grandparents or their childhood memories or why a particular plant evoked happiness were all very different and heartwarming.
Some liked plants from the shade garden: hostas, ferns, dicentra and hydrangeas because they represented a calm serene environment, a place to relax and calm down after a hectic day.
Some like the elegant beauty of calla lilies, while others like the showy flowers of peonies and roses and still others like the cheery pansy or simple roadside flowers.
Not surprisingly, many fond memories are triggered by smell. Many people were attracted by the sweet scent of roses, and lilacs. Lavender or lily of the valley while others preferred the savoury scents of rosemary, basil and cilantro. Each choice came with a story and a memory of a favourite person or event.
Some people recalled a plant that the family has passed down through generations. I love plants that attract bumblebees covered with pollen trying to wiggle their way in and out of flower heads, or butterflies landing on lilacs or hummingbirds darting from blossom to blossom.
Which plant never became the focus, but the stories did. It was a topic that everyone could share without the division of sides or hostility that seems to be the undercurrent of most topics these days. It is just a chance to talk to one another and share our feelings and emotions and memories. How refreshing to be able to share ideas and be friendly. I hope to do more of that and encourage us all to put down our social media devices and talk face-to-face about what makes us happy.
What plants make you happy and why? Have fun with it - ask yourself and your family and friends. While we are waiting for the storms to be over and summer to begin, we can stay warm, share our stories and our memories.
Happy gardening.
