Garden Reports and Rejoicing – January 2
I got home after a week away and found that my houseplants were dry. That’s not surprising. What I thought as I walked around with the watering can, however, was that noticing this twenty minutes after I got home was important. I’m convinced that there are two reasons that people can’t keep houseplants alive and the first has to do with attention to watering.
The “attention” part is the crucial element here. How plants are watered is, of course, a matter of life or death. Too little and the plants dry up, too much and their roots rot. But in order to determine if there is a dearth or an excess of water on any particular plant, our eyes and minds are essential.
At the beginning of this New Year, I’m wondering if this is any different from how we approach other aspects of our lives. Whether we have an advanced aptitude for what we encounter in our work, home life, community, or other pursuits or not, paying attention is often the key to success.
By the way, the second reason that people can’t keep houseplants alive is also tied to awareness. Plants need the correct amount of water and light. Here too attention is important. The light that shines in one window is different from that which flows in through another. Noticing what is there on a day-by-day and month-to-month basis means the difference between houseplant success and failure.
New Year’s resolution: notice all the areas of life where concentration and responsiveness might make all the difference.
