February 2026
Writing prompts, plant of the season: Geranium, new blog posts, Poll: What should be our next anthology?
February 2026
What to expect from this newsletter:
5 Writing Prompts
Editors: What are you reading and listening to?
Plant of the Season: Geranium
New Blog Posts
The Language of Flowers: Love Notes from Nature by Erica Dionora
Seaweed: A brief history, foraging notes, and a coastal gallery by Lihla-mae Noble
Did you know? Nature, Art & Lit News
Poetry Game
Poll: What should be our next anthology?
Plants & Poetry Shop
5 Writing Prompts
Write a journal entry from the perspective of your favourite video game character
Write a haiku inspired by the plant of the month: geranium
Create a character sketch about an antagonist that supports the efforts of the unwilling hero of a story from behind the scenes (you can combine visuals with your writing!)
Write a poem in the form of a prayer
Write a prose piece inspired by the following image:
Editors: What are you reading and listening to?
Erica: I’m currently reading Terminarchy by Angela France and just started The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, and I’ve been listening to Drag Path by Twenty One Pilots, Be Still by the Killers, and Headlights by In Color
Meghan: I’m reading several books right now as I observe Lent, and really love that All Shall Be Well includes work by Mary Oliver. Running Around by Goth Babe, Lights Burn Dimmer by Fred again… and Jamie T, EoO by Bad Bunny, and Let It Be by The Beatles are on repeat currently. (I know we don’t need to get into how chaotic that mix is.) 🎧
Jamie: My mom’s writing a book, so I’ve been reading her drafts, Plants of the Quran by Shahina Agha Ghazanfar (Ramadan Mabrouk!!), and listening to Backstreets by Miss Kaninna, There is a light that never goes out by The Smiths, 2choufat by Zouj, Rita L’Oujdia, and our Rituals & Remedies playlist.
Plant of the Season: Geranium
Plant Care
Light: prefers full sun to partial sun, at least 4–6 hours of direct light daily.
Soil: mildly acidic, well‑drained, fertile soil; tolerates sandy
Water: water regularly, keeping soil lightly moist but not soggy
Seeds: best sown indoors late winter or outdoors in spring after frost; in mild climates, sow in fall for earlier blooming
New Blog Posts!
The Language of Flowers: Love Notes from Nature
Every February, while the shops and malls try to package romance, the flowers remind us not only of the fact that there are many expressions of love but that there is no form of love that nature cannot translate. By Erica Dionora.
Seaweed: A brief history, foraging notes, and a coastal gallery
Blending seaweed lore, field notes, and photography by iestyn, this blog celebrates the brilliant world at the tide line. By Lihla-mae Noble.
Did you know? Nature, Art, & Lit News
For Black History Month, independent presses, literary journals, and others shared with some of the books and magazines they recommend reading. Not just for Feb, but all year, every year (!!)
Rituals & Remedies is out now! Plants & Poetry’s latest anthology published poetry, prose, music playlists, recipes, and more from writers from around the world. One of our contributors, Kath Almond, posted an updated version of their work here.
Letterloop - Our editors use this very cool private group newsletters for friends, families & teams to keep up with each other without social media.
Switch-Lit is a writing platform for collaborative storytelling. Here, two writers take turns crafting chapters of a single story and connect across their own parallel world of fiction. What happens when one of the writers is you?
If you’ve been writing in bursts and craving a more intentional rhythm, Pathways to Poetry Membership offers a steady, supportive creative home. This membership blends monthly virtual gatherings, craft guidance, curated submission opportunities, and a vibrant private community where poets share work and celebrate progress. Whether you are emerging or experienced, you will be met with depth, encouragement, and thoughtful feedback.
Fellow editor, Erica, has released a micro-chapbook titled, Forma, available for download with a sliding scale donation here.
Did you know Plants & Poetry gets a percentage from Libro.fm sales? Ditch audible and check it out: https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm168573
Poetry Game
Follow us on substack! Over there, we’ll post a “note” and send a message in our subscriber stack. You’ll drop a word in the chat. Then we’ll all report back to the Substack Note with our poem or let us know when you’ve written it down in your journal. We’ve done it a couple times for Round #1, Round # 2, & Round #3.
What’s New at Plants & Poetry?
Rituals & Remedies Vol. 2 is an exploration of how we begin, endure, and end our days. Read online for free!
Poll: What should be our next anthology?
Take this quick poll to help us get a read on what you want to see next.
Here is the line-up for our next anthologies!
I have a friend: an anthology on finding and losing love.
This anthology will be a collection of poetry, prose, photography, and short stories on finding and losing romantic and platonic love. Writers will choose from four different prompts provided by the editors to submit work for the anthology.
The worst poetry you’ve ever read: an anthology of drafts and works in progress
Writers will be encouraged to submit work they have not completed or published yet, and the editors will provide feedback and praise on the page. These editor comments will be published in the final version. In a world of AI, we need more raw and unfiltered stories in the lit world.
When everything is extraordinary, I want typos and missed deadlines. I want messy and mistakes. Confusion and unfettered access to downfall. Not your best, give me your worst. I want essays that scream prose. Letters with scratched out addresses and too many stamps. I want what machines don’t know how to do. I want feeling and wrinkles and weird stained shirts with blush on the collar, I want lipstick on your neck and too many dishes in the sink.
Plant People, An anthology of Environmental Artists vol. 6
This anthology will resemble our previous anthologies that can be found here.
Check out the Plants & Poetry store!
Rituals & Remedies vol. 2 » Rituals & Remedies vol. 2 is a collection of art, poetry, and prose that demonstrates how small, day-to-day things, such as gathering for a meal; drinking coffee as the sun rises; praying at night; or going for a walk, hold together so much of our lives.
Garden & Work Gloves » Our Garden & Work Gloves are made from cowhide with reinforced palms and fingertips to add extra protection where you need it most.
Heirloom Notebook » The Heirloom Notebook is a space to hold the heart of your given or found family. It is a quilt of memories.
Plant People Vol. 5 » Plant People, An Anthology of Environmental Artists Vol. 5 is a tender gathering of poetry, prose, art, and non-fiction honoring our plant relatives. Read the full collection online: https://www.plantsandpoetry.org/plant-people-vol-5
Matchbooks » Set of 5 matchbooks. Design & haiku by Erica Dionora. Matchbook includes a haiku poem and plant care instructions for the Iris plant.
Thank you for staying until the end! We’ll see y’all on substack. :)
Plants & Poetry was founded in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in 2019. This is a space that nurtures a love for the arts and sciences, offering poetry & plant education to reconnect with language and land. In We Are Carbon’s podcast episode, Jamie Nix, co-founder of Plants & Poetry, shares the lore behind our organization.
Plants & Poetry operates on the historic lands of the Osage, Caddo, and Quapaw people, members of the Osage Nation, Caddo Nation, and Quapaw Nation in Northwest Arkansas.
Best newsletter I've seen this year
Sun-warmed windowsill
Geraniums hold the faith.. Peaceful, blooming sweetie