Good Nature by Kathy Willis review – flower power

Why would simply looking at plants have such a profound impact? In the 90s, the behavioural scientist Roger Ulrich and his colleagues proposed so-called stress reduction theory, arguing that we are biologically predisposed to pay attention to natural scenes, and that when we do so it induces a more “positively toned emotional state”. Experiments have since demonstrated that looking at vegetation triggers physiological changes that make us more resilient to stress. Some scientists believe this is part of our evolutionary inheritance, harking back to the savannah-like landscapes in which our African ancestors once lived.