Garden Guy column: The many values of plants and green spaces

Why are we or should we be interested in plants? I’m sure a book could be written in answer to these questions, but I will simply list some of the more obvious answers that show their value.

The two most obvious things that come to mind are food and shelter, but I won’t discuss these except to say that they are both indispensable and that many folks get immense pleasure from growing some of their own food.

High on my personal list is the pleasure the senses get from plants – visual, smell, and touch. These are the primary reasons I garden. Closely related and inextricably connected are the butterflies, birds, and other critters that follow, giving additional enjoyment.

Plants and their gardens also tell stories. The stories might be memories of childhood, of different places one has lived, of famous or infamous places visited, of history, of people, and more. One can learn a great deal about the founding of America by studying gardeners and their plants from the earliest days of our country’s beginnings.

Most know that Thomas Jefferson gardened extensively at Monticello. Some of his social values are reflected in his gardening and thoughts about gardening. He wrote that "the greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add an [sic] useful plant to its culture."

While most others gardened in the traditions of England, he created his own form of gardening which was much more informal and led to higher production in less space. He believed that his introduction of the olive tree and upland rice in America was as important as his work on the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson, George Washington, and other of our founding fathers were farmers/botanists, constantly experimenting with seeds and plants. These efforts were not just about having profitable ventures but had as a backdrop the belief that the colonies must be selfsufficient in providing their own food as the mood to break away from England grew.

Plants are so much a part of everyday life that we do not see them, think about them, or appreciate them. They support economic value by providing jobs for those in and connected to the “green industry”. They increase the value of property, both private and public resulting in higher tax values and revenue among other things. They help with tourism by making parks more esthetically pleasing, public gardens enjoyable, and shopping venues for visitors more pleasant.

They provide environmental benefits by increasing biodiversity, improving air quality, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, reducing noise pollution, minimizing erosion, improving water quality, reducing runoff, and acting as windbreaks.

Plants provide gardeners exercise and stress relief from physical gardening work and from the relaxing garden environment. Other health benefits include helping people with chronic illness and disabilities in a variety of settings including both in care facilities and as outpatients.

These only touch upon the many values that plants have. Although we give them little thought, they add immensely to our quality of life.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Garden Guy column: The many values of plants