Norfolk Master Gardeners
830 Southampton Ave., Ste 2069
Norfolk, Virginia 23510-1045
Not Just The P
As I walked through my yard today to see what the incessant wind and rain had wrought,
I realized how similar people and plants really are. Both people and plants thrive when they are cared for. When either do not receive proper care neither can develop to their fullest potential. Some plants are bullies in the garden; some people are bullies whether it be on social media or in real life. (Social media is not real life!) Some people are considered high maintenance; so are some plants. Some plants appear where you don’t want them. All of us, in school or at our job, have had classmates or coworkers who we could have done without.
As I examined my Eastern Red Columbine I thought of all the times I had seen it in bloom at Weyanoke; beautiful, dangling, and dainty. Today, for the first time, I bent down and flipped the flower upside down to reveal a completely different look! Sometimes we form our opinion of people from our first impression, never bothering to really get to know them. It’s important to learn about both people and plants to achieve the best results in our relationships and in our gardens.
When I looked at my 7-foot-tall Inkberry Holly I noticed tiny white flowers. It was the first time I had noticed flowers on it since I planted it six years ago. For the most part it is a nondescript native shrub. There are people in our lives that are quiet and shy. It’s worth getting to know these people and seeing what they have to bring to a friendship. Plants do not have to be showy to be of value; neither do people.
So the similarity of people and plants is not just the first letter of each word. Not only do we coexist but we are codependent. We need to garden like our lives depend on it!
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