by Faiha Khan Would you rub a prickly plant all over your face? Well, here’s why you should! I still remember the shock of watching my aunt rip off a large leaf of her beautiful house plant. I was eight years old and visiting her house in New Jersey. The first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was this pointy, inhospitable-looking plant in the living room. I was immediately intrigued. What was this plant that looked as though it was trying to keep anything that could

By Lainey One of my earliest memories was of staring out the window of a daycare provider’s house, wondering how I ended up at this strange place. She had a spider plant and one day, along with handing me over, she gave my mom a baby from this plant. If you’ve never had a spider plant, know this; There is no need to ever buy a spider plant. They are prolific at reproduction -- think bunnies of botany -- foisting their babies into the world with seeming abandon. Even half-dead

by Sally Lin Growing up, I always watched my grandma tending to many different plants in her garden. She had all sorts of plants. Those I remember best were the flowers jasmine and gardenia that bloom at dusk and produce this sweet aroma that filled the air. Even now, when I smell jasmine it brings back memories and I once again feel like a child. I adored those flowers for their sweet smell and they were always my favorite. However, they also sparked my curiosity because unl

by Mark Brunson My stepmother is a painter. Mostly she paints plants, especially hydrangeas. When she and Dad married (he was 87), a large potted hydrangea occupied their bay window. It became one of Dad’s chores to carry this awkwardly sprawling houseplant outdoors in springtime and back outside each autumn. Dad passed away two winters ago. A neighbor helped carry the hydrangea out and back. That fall, for the first time, scales infested the hydrangea. I got a frantic call,

by Melissa Serenda I met the [botanic] love of my life around fifteen years ago, at the greenhouse of my local garden store. I always loved visiting greenhouses, with the lush leaves in all shades of green and the delicious scent of plants, earth, and fertilizer; the whirring fans and the huge variety of plants. I had just moved into an apartment with my future husband, and was always on the lookout for new houseplants to adopt and bring home to furnish our nest. A small shel