Landscaper Lily Kwong takes on plant mindfulness

For Kwong, mindfulness and plant life are one and the same. As the founder of Studio Lily Kwong, a next-generation landscape design studio, her mission is to reconnect people with nature. Now it has partnered with JW Marriott to launch gardens – at Desert Springs Resort & Spa, but also at JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa and JW Marriott Essex House New York – which are sort of vegetable gardens with a touches, using local vegetation and herbs. They will support the resorts’ culinary efforts, but also serve as a center of education and respite for any guests wishing to explore each space. “To me, [mindfulness and landscape] are a fully integrated experience,” says Kwong. “It’s my own kind of wellness and self-care – plant life. It completely resets my entire energy field.”

We sat down with Kwong to talk about his partnership with Marriott, how everyone is inherently a plant, and the idea that plants reflect the care we give ourselves.

On mindfulness and nature

Walking in nature is like reconnecting to a source. I’m sure you’re probably introducing shinrin-yoku, the idea of ​​forest bathing, where it dramatically reduces inflammation, de-stresses people, all of those things that have incredible physiological benefits. So for me, extended periods in nature are really important for my mental health and well-being.

On gardening and connecting

Gardening is a very meditative experience. It is also a very humbling experience. I think for me it taught me a lot of humility. There’s a reason things like scrubbing the floors are part of some kind of spiritual training. It’s like getting down to the ground, doing something repetitive, doing something where you can kind of turn off your analytical brain, is something that can really heal, especially in our time, in our culture where you’re constantly overstimulated and kind of overheated and overthinking.

I think studies show that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. It’s amazing. And that, of course, would disrupt your type of rhythms – circadian rhythms, your stress levels. So I think the practices that get people out can be incredibly healing.

On her thought of caring for plants as meditation

Most people’s plants die because they don’t really listen to them. Plants tell you pretty clearly if they need water or if they are being overwatered. This is often a watering problem. They are either over-watered or under-watered.

For me, I push my finger into the earth and like to make a cake, if the earth comes up and covers my finger, it’s because it’s too wet. And I leave it. So that’s just it. It’s a very practical thing, but I think the most drastic advice is to take a second to check your houseplants every day. It may take a split second, but often people aren’t listening. And so there’s suffering, and they’ve been crying for water for days, and then it’s too late.

Then the second reason they usually die is sun exposure – either they don’t get enough sun or they get too much. My guy, plant guru Yoda, always says, “The right plant, in the right place.” For example, the common fiddle-leaf fig tree needs a ton of sun. While like the philodendron, these large leafy tropical plants, they can take a bit more shade.

On the myth of not being a “plant”

The number of times people find out what I’m doing or know what I’m doing, and they say, “Oh, I can’t keep a plant alive” is so common. And it’s so sad to me that people feel like they’re mortal to their plant. I just think we’re a lot like them. It’s as if we needed care. We need water. We need nutrients. We need to be listened to.

We all have a birthright. Each of our ancestors was related to plants. They were, or your line would be dead. It’s something very deep in our DNA and our intuition buried somewhere. Some people buried much, much deeper.

We are part of the natural world. We are part of an ecosystem. For me really, it’s sensitivity. It’s just paying attention, really listening. If you kill your plant, think about why you killed it before throwing it away. Take some mental notes, apply them, buy the same plant, try again.

So regaining familiarity and intimacy with plants, I think that would sort it out quite a bit. It is not these mystical and mysterious creatures that are totally foreign to us. They all surround us always, even if we are in a big city. It is as if the plants were in the flowerbeds and window sills indoors. They are everywhere. It’s just about being careful.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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