Plant a Bush or a Shrub
by Pat Gleich

As I pondered the connections between health and the environment, an unexpected image popped into my head—a perfectly coiffed and flawlessly manicured Lady Bird Johnson, issuing her now-famous line, “Plant a bush or a shrub!”

Although in 1965 Lady Bird did not call herself an environmentalist, the Keep America Beautiful campaign, of which planting bushes and shrubs was a major challenge, was perhaps the first large-scale attempt to convince Americans that we, as individuals, could make a difference by getting rid of the unsightly and unhealthy trash in our lives and our communities.

While many of us spend far more time in buildings of one sort or another than we do outside, we can still follow Lady Bird’s advice and create more healthful atmospheres inside our homes and offices with plants..

Pat Gleich is an associate for National Health Ministries.

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• Going Green
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• Caring for God's Creation
• What Is Enough?
• Above and Beyond Bible Study Resource
• 2007 Thank Offering Grant Recipients and Dedication Service
• Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church
• Nurturing Our Faith
• Building Community
• Mosaic
• Health Connections
• Thanks for Coming