Sanctuary Essentials: The Potted Plant

Each time I return to the Highlands and spend time wandering the lush, mossy grounds around our mountainside cottage, I’m again reminded of nature’s quiet, undeniable power to soothe and heal and settle us. There’s just something deeply restorative about being surrounded by green. 

I find it softens the noise, both outside and inside.

Did you know that green is the most relaxing color for your eye to see? The cones in your eyes relax – and so does the rest of you!

Even though our modern lives tend to separate us from nature with roads, concrete, technology, and daily demands that keep us inside, I believe we’re always seeking ways to reconnect. Tree-lined sidewalks, medians full of greenery, generous windows that frame a view of the water- these are not just design features, they remind us of our relationship to the earth and our need to be tethered to the natural world.

If you’ve ever heard the phrase "biophilic design,” this is what they are referring to. I

Among all the ways to bring nature into our lives, one element has become essential in crafting sanctuary: a simple, potted plant.

Fresh florals are beautiful and I do love them. But living plants that are rooted in soil and grow slowly over time can bring us something deeper. A potted plant doesn’t just sit in a space; it becomes a part of it. It breathes, shifts toward the light, and gently transforms. It’s alive. And in that aliveness is a quiet, grounding energy: an energy that reminds us of our own groundedness.

There’s something profound in how a plant must be connected to the earth to thrive. That bond to the soil mirrors our own need for connection: to the ground beneath us, to the spaces we inhabit, to ourselves. When we bring a plant into our home, we are choosing to honor that truth.

What I also love about plants is they way they invite us to care. We tend to them by watering, pruning, repotting, moving them toward sunlight. In return, they flourish. This exchange creates a beautiful rhythm and a relationship. It asks us to be present, to notice, to engage. It turns our homes into places for connecting on a deeper level.

And beyond their symbolism and subtle energy, plants offer something practical, too: they purify the air. They quietly make our homes healthier, fresher, more hospitable.

So yes, they’re beautiful. But more than that, they’re reminders of growth, of care, and of connection. They help us turn our spaces into sanctuaries. And for me, they’ve become non-negotiable companions in that journey.

How about you? Are you as crazy about plants as I am? Which ones are your favorites? I’d love to hear.

With love and gratitude,

Lisa