Are you a plant enthusiast who loves to read? Do you believe the world would be happier if there were more plants? Then you need to grab a copy of How To Make a Plant Love You by Summer Rayne Oakes. This book is perfect for any level of plant enthusiast, whether you’ve recently become interested in plants and are wanting to learn more or you’re a self-professed plant expert. Whether you have plant struggles, plant successes, or don’t have a clue about your plant care abilities but want to know more about how to care for plants, this is the book for you. Also, how could you not trust plant advice coming from someone with a name like Summer Rayne Oakes? 

If you’re unfamiliar with Summer Rayne Oakes, I also suggest that you check out her YouTube channel here. She has hundreds of detailed videos that offer great tips on how to water your plants, how to deal with pests, as well as information on fertilizing. She recently finished a series of videos, entitled 365 Days of Plants, in which she posts a video about a different plant every day of the year! There are some exceptionally unique plants that I never knew existed, like the Begonia masoniana or the Iron Cross Begonia, which has leaves that look like the skin of a toad!

Summer Rayne Oakes is not just one of my favorite YouTubers and fellow plant enthusiasts, but she’s also a great writer. I have absolutely fallen in love with her book How to Make a Plant Love You, which was a gift from my boyfriend. I haven’t finished the book quite yet, as I am an incredibly slow reader and also like to read multiple books on rotation, but I can already tell you it is worth grabbing a copy for yourself to dive into. What makes the book so exceptional is that it’s not just a quick how-to book that offers information anyone could obtain by doing a quick Google search about plants. This book is much more philosophical, perhaps even more spiritual than that. 

In the first few chapters, the book delves into the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits that plants can offer humans. Oakes talks about how magical plants are and offers some pretty mind-blowing facts about plants. For example, Oakes presents some stunning information from studies that have shown that designated spaces for greenery in cities, such as community gardens or parks, can improve residents’ mental health by reducing their depression by 40%.  From the minute I started reading the book I got chills because I knew this book was much more than just fast care-tips for plants. The book is about how our relationship with the earth and the various life forms on it is so deeply intertwined and reflective of our relationship with ourselves and others. I believe that Oake’s philosophy is that through learning to care for plants, we can learn to care for ourselves, and in turn, everyone else much better. This is a book about relationships as much as it is about plants. I find this book to be revolutionary in that way, which is why I encourage everyone, including non-plant enthusiasts, to pick it up and give it a read. It is much needed, especially during a global pandemic and with the increasing collective focus on racial justice, equality, climate change, and health. I believe this book can change our perspectives and give us new tools to utilize in improving our collective well-being on this planet.

The book also has the most charming monochromatic illustrations sprinkled throughout. The illustrations are by Mark Conlan, one of my new favorite artists. You can check out his work on Instagram @markconlan or on his website at markconlan.com. His work is colorful, whimsical, and heavily influenced by plants, perfect inspiration for the artist, and plant-lover alike. 



You can pick up an illustrated, hard-cover version of the book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Plant-Love-You/dp/0525540288. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!