from DipsandPrints

It's the first day of April, and I am ready to start planting! Growing plants has all sorts of benefits, for our mental health- taking care of plants can help us manage our emotions and even prevent depression! Plants can also help our breathing and filter the air. Even if you live in a small space without a ton of room, you can really benefit from having plants in it.

If you want to do some growing, but you don't have a ton of space to spare, Etsy sellers have come up with some ingenious ways to work plants into your decor. These are so pretty, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Looking Sharp Cactus 

This store makes all sorts of beautiful planters, but the one I love most is this door number planter. It looks so perfect for a small space, and even if you don't have a yard, you have a little spot to plant.

ThePottedEarthCo

Oh my lordy, I love these planters. If you life in a small space and want to maintain a minimalist feel, I don't think you could do better than these. They just look super sophisticated but warm, and they could fit in with a lot of people's styles. If you like the look, but are on the East Coast and want to ship a little less far, I think these planters from waldmade.

RopedonCedar

Have a little bit of room outside, but not much? I love these vertical planters from Roped on Cedar that make the most of whatever sunshine is shining on your outdoor spaces. I just think this store is the coolest.

RevisionsDesigns

If you don't even have the floor space, you can green your space with a beautiful hanging planter. There are so many out there, but these ceramic ones from Revisions Designs are my absolute favorite. They look delicate and simple, but not like they are moments from falling apart either. Happy homes for your plants.

AmshaStudio

I have never tried baskets like these before, but they look so pretty and unique. It's a really different style, and I wish I knew a little more about the store, but it's definitely worth it to check them out.




If you don't see one here that you love, don't despair. First of all, every craft fair you visit will have cool planters there. Secondly, etsy is an internet craft fair, so there is an almost endless supply of planters. Try putting your state in the location box and see which planters are actually made near you. Want more to browse? Check out MidCenturyWoodShop, MillCreekMarket, thelostgypsyCo, andrewsreclaimed, and Theplantcycler.

VerdeVeil (San Francisco)

I know we have started working on our yard and will start planting in the next few weeks! We had our first garden last year, and I think we were honestly surprised how much we enjoyed taking care of the plants and growing a little bit of our own food. If you are thinking about growing things but are figuring out where and how to do it, these planting spaces from amazing Etsy sellers might help.

HamersCrafts (Louisiana) makes stacked strawberry planters like this one. It might be perfect if you have a very small space to grow in, but you want to grow some herbs or strawberries. Plus, it is really pretty.





Almost Hippies (Arizona) makes beds with trellises on one side. I think this is genius, as we are debating where to add trellises this year (this stuff gets tall! We were surprised).

Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

What would happen if every person planted a tree this April?

I know it sounds pretty radical compared to my usual entry-level environmentalism. April has always been the month of Arbor Day, of the showers that bring May flowers, of growing and planting. I can remember Arbor Day and the general miracle that things grow out the wazoo in elementary school. We all did it, right? Went out and planted a tree or grew some hardy plants in the class room.

But since leaving elementary school, how often do we actually plant something? Some of us may still get our hands dirty, but I know I haven't done much planting since then. This month, I am going to change that, and I want you to join me! We don't have to spend all our time out planting trees, but if we each planted one, we could basically save the world. We could all be Captain Planet, or at least one of those kids that hangs out with him.

Why Plant Trees? 

This isn't some lame tree-hugging empty environmentalism. If you only do one thing for the earth this year (but do more, for goodness sake- you like breathing, don't you?), adding to the tree and larger plant population could have the most profound environmental effect. Why? Well friend, I'll tell you:

Each acre of tree provides clean air and shade for 20 people a year.

Forests and wooded areas house the majority of the Earth's biodiversity in plant and animal life. This biodiversity is absolutely vital to our own survival as a species. About 50% of the Earth's animal species live in the rainforests, even though they only cover 2% of the Earth's surface

Trees basically work as the lungs of our planet, breathing in the CO2 we put into the atmosphere and breathing out oxygen. It provides us our air, helps keep the water clean, and slows the dramatic climate changes we see taking place. An acre of forest can absorb 6 tons of carbon dioxide and emit 4 tons of oxygen. Even if you don't buy climate change, you can't deny that trees are doing a heck of a lot of the work keeping Earth habitable and clean.

In New York City alone, the trees absorb 272 tons of air pollution. And that's not that green a city!

They also keep immediate climates cooler- according to the US Department of Agriculture, a young healthy tree has the same cooling effect as 10 room-sized air conditioners.

Trees (especially mature or fruit-bearing) on your property have a positive effect on real estate values. It can change the perception of the house's value significantly.

Almost 50% of the Earth's tree cover is gone, and much of that damage has been done in the last 30 years (in other words, we are consuming and crowding out trees much faster than they can grow. This is a problem of our lifetime and it's our responsibility to fix it).

In short, Save the Trees, Save the Earth!

What I'm Trying

I want to try planting some of our own plants and trees, to positively contribute and to better appreciate how things grow. I know it sounds cheesy, but trees move so slowly, and we all move so quickly, it's easy to see how we can see them as unimportant, but I want to change my attitude. To counter one family car's worth of carbon emissions, we would have to plant more than a thousand trees, but I figure everything has to start somewhere!

We don't have a ton of room for more trees (we have two big ones in our backyard), but we are going to find the space, and I might start lobbying for a tree or two in our front yard. I think we can still fit a few on the property, and I feel like lots of us could add some, but don't.

The Arbor Day website has it's own very detailed and helpful instructions about planting trees in case you, like me, are new at this whole thing. Look at what resources are available locally as well- I have received some good advice about what grows best in the Seattle area, and I bet you can find lots of good information on what's best for your area if you look.

The goal? Plant things in our own space every Sunday in April leading up to a tree near Arbor Day. I also want to research where planting needs to be done in our area in Washington, and how to support reforestation across the country and the world. We have room in our yard, but if you don't, maybe check into community gardens near you! Every week in April, I want to do something, even if it is small. Join me one week or every week!

I feel really excited about the possibility that my children could think growing things is a regular part of life, not to mention that having more trees on the planet will just make the world around them better. I hope by the time they are making these choices, some of the big initiatives like "Plant a Billion Trees" will have already succeeded. This goal may seem quaint and small, but I believe they add up if we all get involved,

Don't have time to plant a tree yourself? Renting or living in a place with no outdoor space? No worries! I think we could all take the second step to fight deforestation on a larger scale by supporting organizations that reforest areas and fight deforestation. A lot of these options are the cost of one cup of coffee or one cheap meal out, so if every person who reads this contributed, we could again make Captain Planet super proud. Check out your option:

 Rather than going and planting something you can sponsor amazing companies like Plant a Tree USA, where you can sponsor a tree (or 3 or 6) in honor of someone. Check out the options here. I especially love the Arbor Foundation options, where you can buy trees to celebrate or remember people that you love while helping to clean out the skies and water of this country. I love it. If I die, you can all buy trees in my honor so my baby can breath clean air. Check out the options here.  You can also buy greeting cards of all types (made with recycled paper)- for every one you buy, they plant a tree! You can also donate to the Nature Conservancy "Plant a Billion Trees" Initiative, which currently only has 1% of the funds they need to rejuvenate national forests.

By funding tree-planting in this way, you can help with reforestation in areas that really need it (like the Washington mountains near we live).This may not be on your regular radar, but it's a really big deal. We spend so much time listing all the things we are doing but shouldn't (we shouldn't commute so long, we shouldn't eat so much meat, etc). April offers us a moment to think of how we can add to the solution, not just minimize our part in the problem.

So, what do you grow? Give me gardening tips- I don't know what I am doing! If you plant something, from a flower to a tree, send me a picture so I can marvel at your awesomeness! If you find other organizations that are out planting, let me know so I can pass the information on! It's time to do something radical- slow down and plant something!

If you want more info about what we're all about here, check this link. If you want some eco-friendly shopping lists, try looking here! Good luck with your planting and let me know how it goes/ if you actually become Captain Planet!

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now." -Chinese Proverb