Reconnecting with Nature: Overcoming Plant Blindness
Updated: Oct 21
When was the last time you truly saw a plant? Not just a fleeting glance during your morning walk or while driving past a patch of trees, but a genuine connection with the intelligence, beauty, and sacred presence of the plant world?
Most of us suffer from what scientists call Plant Blindness. This term, coined in 1999, describes our unconscious tendency to overlook plants as mere background to our lives. Plants are more than just scenery or oxygen providers. They are ancient beings, healers, teachers, and allies. They are waiting for us to remember the profound relationship we once shared with them!
My Personal Awakening: From Bushfire Recovery to Plant Wisdom
I first discovered my own plant blindness while working on a plant conservation project after the devastating 2020 bushfires in Australia. Like many, I had taken plants for granted. I enjoyed nature’s beauty without realizing the rich, ancient intelligence quietly rooted in the world around me.
Through my research on the biology and ecology of plants, I became fascinated with one particular plant: the Dorrigo Daisy Bush (Olearia flocktoniae). My curiosity led me on a winding path of discovery. I learned about the namesake of the Dorrigo Daisy, an incredible botanical artist, Margaret Flockton. Her illustrations captured the soul of Australia’s plant life.
My curiosity about other female botanical artists led me to the London Darwin Group’s inspiring workshop series on some of the great (and lesser-known) female botanical artists of our time. Through a side conversation in one of those workshops, I was introduced to the groundbreaking work of evolutionary scientist Monica Gagliano and her research in plant sentience and communication.
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon the deeply inspiring stories of cultural connection and plant lore by Robin Wall Kimmerer (author of Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss), but I can tell you that my life has been forever changed since I did.
On this winding journey, I realized just how much I had been missing out on. I was missing an entire green world of wisdom, beauty, and healing. That was the moment I began reclaiming my connection. I dusted off my herbal medicine textbooks and spent many hours in the garden, in the kitchen, and in meditation, reacquainting myself with my herbal friends. Now, I would love to introduce them to you!
Why Healing Plant Blindness Matters
In places like Tweed Heads, Coolangatta, and throughout the Northern Rivers, we are surrounded by breathtaking biodiversity. Yet much of it is under threat. Since colonization, nearly half of Australia’s forests have been cleared. Today, over 1,374 native plant species are classified as threatened.
But the true tragedy of plant blindness isn't just financial or ecological; it's spiritual. When we stop seeing the living world, we lose:
Our sense of belonging
Our ancient connection to nature’s wisdom
Guidance available to us through plants and cycles
The opportunity to heal ourselves as part of the natural world
The good news? We can heal plant blindness. In doing so, we heal ourselves.
The Sacred Sage: Your First Plant Teacher
At The Healing Bower in Tweed Heads, I invite you to take your first steps into plant wisdom through the beloved plant Sage (Salvia officinalis).
Sage has long been revered for:
Clearing stagnant energy and negative emotions
Supporting digestion, hormones, and immune health
Enhancing mental clarity and intuition
Offering spiritual protection and ancient wisdom
Modern science now confirms much of what herbalists have always known. Sage supports cognitive health, hormonal balance, inflammation, and even metabolic function. But Sage’s medicine goes far beyond the physical. She teaches us how to return to a right relationship with the natural world—one moment of presence at a time.
Introducing: Wisdom from Plants - Sacred Sage Workshop (Woo Woo Lounge, Coolangatta Region)
Date: 5:30 PM, 9 July 2025
Location: Clear Skies Project space, 30 Griffith Street, Coolangatta, Southern Gold Coast.
In this intimate 2.5-hour plant wisdom workshop, you will:
Discover both scientific and ancient healing knowledge
Experience a guided meditation to meet Sage’s spirit
Learn simple sensory practices to awaken your connection to the natural world
Explore intuitive plant communication techniques
Find space for creativity, journaling, and personal insight
You don’t need any prior herbal experience—just an open heart and a desire to reconnect.
Practical Ways You Can Start Healing Plant Blindness Today
Whether or not you can attend the workshop, you can begin shifting your awareness with a few simple practices:
Name 3 Plants Daily
As you walk, consciously notice and name three plants. If you don’t know the name, take a photo and research it later.
Practice Slow Observation
Sit with a single plant for five minutes. Notice textures, colors, scents, and shapes. Allow yourself to be curious.
Create a Plant Journal
Begin documenting plants you meet—both facts and any feelings or impressions you experience.
Read and Learn
Explore books that open your awareness to plant wisdom. (I’ll be sharing my personal recommended reading list soon—keep an eye out for my upcoming blog post: The Healing Bower's Reading List to Transform Your Life.)
Listen With Your Intuition
As Monica Gagliano’s research reminds us, plants may communicate in ways science is only beginning to understand. Be open to sensing, feeling, and receiving messages from the plant world.
Your Invitation
If you live near Tweed Heads, Coolangatta, Northern Rivers, or the Southern Gold Coast, I warmly invite you to join me for the Wisdom from Plants: Sacred Sage Workshop at The Woo Woo Lounge.
Together we will remember. Together we will reconnect. Together we will heal.
Book your place now!*
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