It was about almost three years ago that I discovered that I had what people call a “green thumb”…although personally, I think everybody can plant something and it will grow. There’s nothing special to growing a plant. All it really requires for a plant to grow are sunshine, soil and water. All the rest—fertilizers, mulches, TLC of a gardener, etc.—are bonuses for the plant. Just think about it, forests are lush with greenery…it’s just nature at work. So why do I take care of plants if we can leave them be and they’ll still flourish? I happen to like seeing plants grow and tending to them, feel the soil with my fingers and thus feel more connected to the earth. Another thing with gardening is that it provides me with some ironies to ponder on (more on those later). One of the greatest things I could think about taking care of a plant is that it’s not so heartbreaking when it dies. I could move on swiftly, plant another seed and bring forth new life.
Here forth I shall present you with my:
GARDEN OF IRONIES
“I shall bury you so you shall live.”
I find it rather amusing and it always strikes me with unexplainable awe at how ironic it is for a plant to be able to start its life. It needs to hit the ground, be covered with soil and then it shall start its life…it needs to be buried first in order to live.
Cut to branch out
Here’s another one of those ironies I was talking about. In a plant, you need to “pinch” or cut off its terminal ends in order to induce branching out. I shall cut thee and ye shall spring forth new growth…there’s a real-life Hydra.
“I’m dry, don’t water me please.”
It’s true, what you read in gardening books…let the soil dry out sometimes…it’s better for the plant. A higher percentage of plants die from being over watered than those that are under watered. Always keeping the soil wet will suffocate the roots, they need air to breathe after all. As long as the plant doesn’t show signs of wilting, it’s ok if the soil is dry.
Those ironies of gardening sometimes keep me preoccupied while I tend to my plants. I can never quite get enough of how enigmatic nature can be.
Try planting something sometime; maybe you’ll be able to find that it’s a great way to spend your time...perhaps you’ll find some ironies to think about too.
