Evening Primrose by Becky Urban
Now is the Time When Plants Need Help the Most By Jeff Falk
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ince the beginning of our time on earth, humans have coexisted with plants, somewhat peacefully. It is an imperfect symbiotic relationship. We give them carbon dioxide, and they give us oxygen. They give us food, clothing and shelter, and we give them … The truth is we need plants more than they need us. But that doesn’t mean we humans can’t enjoy taking care of plants. Perhaps that privilege is just another one of the things they give to us. Becky Urban is a professor of biology and the Director of Environmental Sciences at Lebanon Valley College. “It can be a symbiotic relationship,” says Urban. “We’re choosing the plants we want to have a good relationship with. With corn, for instance, we’re spreading their genes all over the place. But sometimes it’s good to look at it from the plant’s point of view. They are an aspect of our culture. There are ways where we have different relationships with plants. “They produce oxygen,” adds Urban. “They are the source for every food we eat, either directly or indirectly. We get medicine from plants, we get lumber from plants, we get paper from plants. 24 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020
Brown Pumpkin by Natasha Brown They are very intertwined in our daily lives. I think they’re very underappreciated, because they kind of just sit there. Plants have to withstand a changing environment, and there are competitive plants competing for the same resources. The more you learn about plants, the more interesting they become.” Locally, that ideological concept of caring for plants manifests itself in gardens – both floral and vegetable – landscaping and agriculture. While the climate of south central Pennsylvania presents us with a unique set of challenges in our caring for plants, it also provides us with different ways to enjoy them. As a pursuit, planting and gardening is like no other hobby in the world. “I think gardening is quite popular locally,” says Urban. “And I think it’s gotten even more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think people are spending more time at home. I can’t think of a house that doesn’t have sort of plant around it, maybe in a city. Even then, you have weeds growing out of your sidewalk. “Plants can certainly grow on their own,” Urban adds. “It depends on the species, how much maintenance and care they
