Heart-Healing Horticulture
Right on the heels of Valentine’s Day, and with so much uncertainty and turmoil in the world, we’d like to take this week to remind ourselves to reflect and feel comforted in our heart spaces. Yeah, it sure does sound like New Age woo-woo, but speaking as a life-long existential nihilist to you, dear reader, forcing some positivity into our internal selves is rather cathartic.
Rosa sp. | parts used: fruit & flowers
Rosa rugosa & R. rugosa ‘Alba’
Maybe this looks like self-care in the form of drinking herbal tea with some of the helpful plants mentioned below, maybe it means you curl up with a book under a warm reading lamp, maybe it means you rot in bed way earlier than you should while watching old Saturday Night Live re-runs and grazing on the closest bag of chips within your grasp - but I digress. For a moment, let’s just take a (heart)beat and remind ourselves of the true, honest work we consistently pour ourselves into every day as plant people, and that at the core of our green industry is a network of caring individuals all trying to make our world a healthier, more resilient place for the sake of current and future generations.
The science is there, proving that green spaces serve as places of respite for our fickle human species - cortisol levels drop, blood pressure lowers, our brains become titillated but not over-stimulated, our senses are able to focus on our surroundings. Stochastic sounds, or unpredictable sounds such as birdsong, water trickling, and grasses blowing in gentle breezes, have been also shown to pleasantly confuse our brain, allowing for a break from the consistent whirring of machines, car sounds, and the remaining plethora of human cacophonies occurring at every minute of every day.
It is because of you, dear reader, that these spaces continue to exist and thrive. Tending a green space welcomes the same benefits as visiting one, meaning you’re already subconsciously doing the mindfulness work without realizing it - good job! More importantly, you are the creators of Good: working to establish balance, harmony and awareness in and of the natural world - the first step to re-establishing these virtues in our human world.
Below is a short compilation of plants that benefit the heart - whether as a medicinal herb, a spiritual companion, or as a tool for garden magic. Some of these choices may surprise you - others you may have been aware of as heart-healing herbs already.
Crataegus sp. | parts used: fruit, flowers, leaves
See: Crataegus laevigata ‘Crimson Cloud’
Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’
Lavandula sp. | parts used: aerial parts
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ & ‘Essence Purple’ (coming summer 2025)
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Phenomenal!’ (‘Niko’)(PP24193) and ‘Sensational!’
Ginkgo biloba | parts used: leaves & bark
Ginkgo biloba Princeton Sentry®
Hamamelis sp. | parts used: bark, leaves, flowers
While not to be taken internally, the external benefits of witch hazel have been known and commercialized for centuries. In Magick, it’s believed that carrying the leaves while experiencing heartbreak or melancholy will aid the carrier in overcoming their feelings of grief, which can of course manifest in many different ways: the loss of a loved one, a job, a pet, an old way of life, and even the loss of a sense of normalcy. Witch hazel is also believed to carry protective energy that helps to keep negative energies at bay, making it useful for hanging in doorways or thresholds to prevent unwanted energies into domiciles. If you’re an admirer of trinkets, you can fashion a small talisman out of witch hazel branches and carry it with you as a healing charm for overall wellbeing and protection.
Hamamelis vernalis Autumn Embers™ (‘KLMNINETEEN’) - cover photo
Hamamelis vernalis ‘Kohankie Red’
Hamamelis vernalis ‘Purple Ribbons’ - cover photo
Hamamelis virginiana ‘Mohonk Red’
Hamamelis virginiana ‘Winter Champagne’ - cover photo
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’
