How to Make a Plant Love You

Cultivate Green Space in Your Home and Heart

By: Summer Rayne Oakes

Narrated by: Summer Rayne Oakes, Simon Sinek, Kaleo Griffith

Summer Rayne Oakes, an urban houseplant expert and environmental scientist, is the icon of wellness-minded millennials who want to bring nature indoors, according to a New York Times profile. Summer has managed to grow 1,000 houseplants in her Brooklyn apartment (and they're thriving!) Her secret? She approaches her relationships with plants as intentionally as if they were people.

Everyone deserves to feel the inner peace that comes from taking care of greenery. Beyond the obvious benefits--beauty and cleaner air--there's a strong psychological benefit to nurturing plants as a path to mindfulness. They can reduce our stress level, lower our blood pressure, and improve our overall outlook. And they offer a rare opportunity to find joy by caring for another living being.

When Summer Rayne Oakes moved to Brooklyn from the Pennsylvania countryside, she knew that bringing nature indoors was her only chance to stay sane. She found them by the side of the road, in long-forgotten window boxes, at farmers' markets, and in local garden shops. She found ways to shelve, hang, tuck, anchor, secure, and suspend them. She even installed a 150-foot expandable hose that connects to pipes under her kitchen sink, so she only has to spend about a half-hour a day tending to her plants--an activity that she describes as a "moving meditation."

This is Summer's guidebook for cultivating an entirely new relationship with your plant children. Inside, you'll learn to:

Pause for the flowers and greenery all around you, even the ones sprouting bravely between cracked pavement

Trust that your apartment jungle offers you far more than pretty décor

See the world from a plant's perspective, trading modern consumerism for sustainability

Serve your chlorophyllic friends by learning to identify the right species for your home and to recreate their natural habitat (Bonus: your indoor garden won't die!)

When we become plant parents, we also become better caretakers of ourselves, the people around us, and our planet. So, let's step inside the world of plants and discover how we can begin cultivating our own personal green space--in our homes, in our minds, and in our hearts.

Beautifully done

Wonderful message. I love my plants and have formed a relationship with them but, this relationship will definitely deepen after listening to this book.

I learned so much!

I loved this book. It has transformed my house because II now have plants and I feel confident that I can care for them. Taking care of my plants is my favourite time of the day, it brings me so much joy! This book made my life better. Thank you!

Beautifully read and written

I enjoyed the message of the book of how plants are a lens into caring for our environment. The various voices throughout the book were also a nice and unexpected touch.

Good Read

Well written and narrated. love the different perspectives of this book. I started gardening this year and could identify with some of the concepts she talks about . as a leader i have devoted my last 2 years to enhancing my ability to be mindful . i think this book has validated some of the virtues i believe in and helped me in my journey to being a mindful person nourshing and caring for people who i lead.

Good but Short

I enjoyed the book. But, I had awaited it's release for so long that I am now disappointed at how short the book is. Other than that, it's good.