“We’re humans; we are inclined to care for living things,” says the self-taught plant doctor, who launched her Brooklyn-based firm, Greene Piece, in 2018. Offering services like virtual home visits and “plant-shopping dates,” during which she accompanies clients to local nurseries, Greene emphasizes that good mental health is rooted in a strong connection to nature—and that nature should be accessible to everyone. “Plants are a reminder that rest is equally as important as productivity,” she reflects, stressing that now, more than ever, all people should experience “the grounding sensation” associated with growing plants. (She is photographed on her neighbors’ Bedford-Stuyvesant stoop.) “New York is this stagnant, concrete thing. When you get on that subway, you don’t have control over how your day is going to go, but with plants there’s
an equation you can narrow it down to: sunlight, water, and care.” As for her future plans, this able instructor—she received a dual master’s degree in general education and literacy at Bank Street College—hopes to bring plants into classrooms and other spaces that prioritize wellness for children, especially children of color. “It’s my way of checking up on kids and saying, ‘How are you?’ ” yourgreenepiece.com —Gabriela Ulloa
“A little bit of wild in the city can bring us some sanctuary,” says this landscape designer. Since 2015, her firm, Design Wild, has been working with local officials, community groups, developers, and homeowners to create lush, ecologically sound gardens for low-income housing, public spaces, private residences, and busy streets. Pocket meadows (pictured) commissioned by the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance have attracted a steady stream of monarch butterflies and other pollinators to a highly trafficked stretch of the West Side, while a newly completed 5,000-square-foot garden for an affordable-housing building promises to take the edge off some of the more stressful aspects of urban life. As Nagel explains, the pandemic has thrown the need for accessible urban green space into high relief. “What people need most is a quiet place to sit with a plant.” designwildny.com —Hannah Martin
“As city dwellers, we do what we can to bring the forest into our homes,” says Osofsky, a botanical designer who built her name operating a nursery, or “plant speakeasy,” out of her own apartment. “Tending to one’s plants—just being in their company—can be a continual source of relaxation and spiritual sustenance.” These days, Osofsky works out of a light-filled studio in Gowanus, where she conducts virtual and (with the necessary precautions) in-person meetings with clients, teaching them about gardening techniques and the needs of different plant varieties. Since the pandemic, she’s seen a local surge in demand for backyard, rooftop, and terrace landscapes. (She is photographed at a recent Fort Greene brownstone project.) “People want to grow their own food, so we plant vegetable beds, herbs, and pollinator gardens,” explains Osofsky, adding that people are prioritizing plants inside as well as out. “Most of us in New York do not have space to cultivate a garden, but we can grow houseplants. Keeping them allows us to nurture and watch life grow.” dirtqueennyc.com —Zoë Sessums
“Throughout history, there are so many examples of vegetable gardening used as a response to crisis,” notes Novak, drawing a through line from the victory gardens of the early 20th century to the guerrilla-gardening movement of the 1970s to the present pandemic. “People turn to it as an outlet or a resource.” The importance of getting your hands dirty is a message this multifaceted farmer has long shared, offering field-to-fork classes at Growing Chefs, the nonprofit she started in 2005; tilling the soil at the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, the 6,000-square-foot Greenpoint oasis she cofounded in 2009; managing The Edible Academy at the New York Botanical Garden; and tackling private projects. (She is photographed atop a Lower Manhattan tower at Battery Rooftop Garden, where she curates the vegetable program.) Today that advocacy has taken on new urgency. “As people are stuck at home, they’ve become more acutely aware of what access they have to green space—and there isn’t enough,” she reflects. “There has never been a more important time to recognize that rooftops are an oasis.” annienovak.wordpress.com —S.C.
“Butterflies, bees, and birds are my everything,” says the self-taught native-plant specialist, who grew up in rural Cyprus surrounded by wheat fields, olive groves, and wildlife. “Nature, even in its brutality, is inviting. As a landscape designer, gardener, and human being, I love having beauty around me.” Several years ago, nostalgic for his pastoral past, the Manhattan transplant set about studying indigenous plants—poring over books, collecting seeds, and transforming a private Queens garden (pictured) into a laboratory and showcase for his ecological explorations, as well as a set location and source for brands on the order of Oscar de la Renta. Today his firm, Fulli NYC, teaches city dwellers to eschew English ivy, Chinese wisteria, and the invasive like in favor of native perennials, whether in the form of flower arrangements, window boxes, or lush gardens that attract pollinators. “Now more than ever, we all want to help the environment, and we can do something very simple,” notes Petrou. “Make landscapes more productive environmentally. Buy plants that grow—naturally—in your area.” fullinyc.com —S.C.
“It all started with my grandmother; she was the original Green Goddess in my life,” recalls Griffin, a.k.a. Plant Kween, an Instagram sensation who has leveraged their considerable fan base to spread the good word of greenery. Amassing more than 180 plants and 250,000 followers over just four years, Griffin has cultivated fertile digital ground for fellow queer or BIPOC nature lovers to bond, all the while feeling seen and represented. “When I’m caring for my plants, I’m caring for myself,” muses Griffin, who works by day as the assistant director of New York University’s LGBTQ+ Center. (They are photographed at home in Crown Heights and at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.) “Is my queen getting enough water? Wait, am I getting enough water?” These are the self-nourishing questions Griffin believes we—New Yorkers especially—should be asking ourselves during today’s stressful times. Just be sure to nurture your plant friends “with an eager mind and a sense of curiosity and fun.” After all, Plant Kween attests, “it’s such a simple pleasure.” instagram.com/plantkween —G.U.
