Happy Houseplants

Over the years, these columns have recorded many a commercial attempt to relieve the black thumb brigade of their responsibilities. As Zora Neale Hurston once observed, "Trees and plants always look like the people they live with somehow." Who wants to look like a houseplant past its prime? Of course, today the pressure is on as never before to have rooms full of happy, healthy plants. It is a scientific fact that not only do they remove pollutants from the air, but plants contribute to mental health also. Strangely, in glossy magazine pics promoting celebrity spreads, there is all too often a dearth of greenery. Perhaps this reveals something about their mental stability. Other professionals also: "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died," advised the late Erma Bombeck.