I Still Watch My Plants

Author: siggy

I still watch my plants.  The rubber tree and snake plant seem to grow a little each day.  It is now out of its dormant period.  I inspect it every day or two.  We don’t do too well with African violets but the one plant in the kitchen has flowers.  Today one was completely open–a ruffled pink flower.  It will only have a total of two flowers but I will consider them gifts.  My plant inspections go beyond my house plants.  I like walking around my yard to see what discoveries I will make next.  I have a personal relationship with my plants.  I like to watch them closely.

I Still Watch My Plants

Author: siggy

I still watch my plants.  I am still amazed by them.  Like they are run by some invisible clock, they grow or get bigger.  And I keep a close eye on them when they do this.  Even when they remain dormant, I keep an eye on them.  And rejoice when they start growing.  I am not alone in this pursuit.  A lot of people have house plants.  The proper light and sufficient water is usually all the care they need.  If only our needs were so simple.  It is others who watch our growth.  We can’t see it so easily.  Plants are easier to detect whether they are getting proper nourishment.  Although for both patience is needed and time is a factor.

Death and renewal are connected:  the lesson my plants taught me.  I watch my house plants closely.  Right now I am watching my rubber plant.  So many leaves have dried up.

I keep giving it more water–to no avail.  It is in a warm room.  I noticed it has become taller.  It is stretching to capture the sunlight.  Although many leaves have dried up, it is not dead by any mean.

Plants adjust to their environment all the time.  Some leaves dry up.  Sometimes you may not water one enough so some leaves die so other can get enough water.  There is a close relationship between death and renewal.

That is one lesson I can learn watching my plants’ growth.  Those two are always connected.  Sometimes there can’t be renewal until there is death.  We can learn that lesson from observing our houseplants.

Sometimes that means you have to give up a goal and shift your attention elsewhere.  Or someone dear to you may die before you start to grow again.

The same pattern always follows.  In the words of Bob Dylan, and this is a paraphrase from one of his songs:  you have to be busy dying before you can live.

And no one said there would be no pain in the process.  There is just part of it.  From death, comes birth.  It is that simple.  A lesson observing plants (and nature) taught me.