Just like plants, relationships need gentle and consistent care: water, fertilizer, sunlight and air to the roots. Yes, your relationship needs to be nurtured so that it can grow and maintain its beauty. Never neglect it because it will wilt, die and eventually turn brown. Use these handy tips for maintaining a healthy “plant.”1. Water it.We tend to take people, especially in longer term relationships, for granted. Constant and consistent demonstrations of caring can go a long way in maintaining healthy growth. And, it’s the simple things done consistently that matter: a pat on the hand, a peck on the cheek, or a touch on the shoulder.2. Put it near sunlight.You can adjust the way you interact in the relationship. That is all you can do. It is enormous what you can do and the positive affect it creates when you take one of your own issues and deal with it. It breathes a breath of sunlight into a stale space. Yes, it is about you, not about what they can change.3. Add some fertilizer.Every now and then a good shot of the unexpected boost and stir growth in a stale relationship. How about a surprise comment, dinner, or even trip? Big or small, something genuine and unexpected can breathe life and healthy growth into your current situation.4. Mulch and aerate the soil.Sometimes the roots need a big boost such as moving around heavy soil. You till gardens to get some air down to the roots while removing weeds. The same needs to be down to relationships, especially those weighed down by time and trauma. Counseling and learning new communication skills can be just the right aerator technique to open up root growth and revitalize a stagnant plant.5. Support it as it grows.Some plants, as they get taller, need a gentle support to sustain growth. If this is your and your relationship, do so! Join a group, organization or class that gently guides both of you forward, individually and together. Many spiritual groups support relationships so find one that fits you.You can reinvigorate and revitalize your relationship plant. It can be done quickly and easily. And, it can be sustained over time. While it is a fun analogy, it is also a spot on analogy. And, it works. Yes, sometimes plants cannot be saved. Sometimes, the natural course of things takes over and with age, it dies. Some relationships complete and are to be closed. Others, with a little thought, can be revitalized with a bit of a a relationship “green thumb.”