I suppose it could happen to any of us these days….
I’d been traveling. On my return, my husband told me he had rescued a couple of plants from his place of work. They had been left in a corner where they wouldn’t get much light. When he asked about the plants, no one seemed to know or care. So he brought them home where they could be watered and appropriately tended. Sure enough, there on the bench were two new (dragon tree?) plants – clamoring for the light that was streaming through the window!
I didn’t object. I love plants! In fact, every time we’ve moved, bringing plants into our living area has been a top priority. Plants enliven a space! Whether it is potted herbs that add beauty to the environment, scents to the ambiance, flavor to our food, or other houseplants that brighten up a room, living plants can profoundly affect our physiology and impact our wellbeing.
Benefits of plants are easily discovered with a quick internet search. Not only do plants inhale what we exhale – and exhale the oxygen that we inhale, certain plants can clear the air of toxins. Plants seem to affect mood. In Japan, “forest bathing” is prescribed to treat stress and burnout. It is probably fair to say that our human existence is dependent on and intertwined with the plant world.
As for our rescued foliage… even our daughter remarked about how much she liked this addition to our living room collection. In my absence, my husband had faithfully watered all the houseplants. Taking up my usual task again, I went to check the moisture in the soil to determine which plants needed watering. The soil in the rescued items was covered by wood chips. Upon closer examination, it wasn’t soil at all – it was floral foam!?! The rescued plants were simply excellent artificial reproductions of the real thing. (No wonder our cats were unusually disinterested in them.)
This is not to say that artificial plants lack value. Even pictures or simulated views of nature can calm and speed healing.[1] It’s good to know that there are options if, for whatever reasons, we can’t actually be in nature. Also, for those lacking a green thumb or the time to care for plants, artificial greenery or pictures are certainly easier to maintain. They don’t need water and can survive in a dark corner.
This “rescue” was needless. Thankfully, no plants were harmed. No furniture ruined. The cats were not fooled. Only our egos suffered when we realized that we had mistaken the counterfeit for the real. Besides a good belly laugh, this unintended ruse brought another gift: a reminder. Pay attention and value what is real. Sophisticated reproductions of reality saturate our surroundings. We may not be aware of how often we unwittingly substitute representations for the real.
If we are not able to discern what’s authentic, we may find ourselves watering what’s counterfeit.
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[1]Deborah Franklin, “How Hospital Gardens Help Patients Heal”, 1 Mar 2012, Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nature-that-nurtures/