"Though I do not believe that a
plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed."
Henry David Thoreau
This is my geranium plant. I've a had it for the last five years. Over the winter it suffered greatly and at one point I thought I'd just have to toss it. Then I thought, "why not give it one more chance?" If there is anything I've learned from my years gardening both outdoors and indoors, it's that one should never underestimate the power of something to grow, to fight it's way back into the light. So I cut it all the way back to a stump, gave it light, water and love, and now she's blooming again.
This summer has been devastating in terms of my indoor garden. In late May we had a 10-day heat wave with temperatures well up in the 90's that forced things to bloom way before they usually do. This was followed by terrible air quality issues from the wildfires in Canada which necessitated either leaving windows open and letting it all inside, or closing the windows and having the air conditioning running 24/7. Even with grow lights going, my seedlings and new plants just couldn't cope. Even the ones I bought from trusted nurseries couldn't handle it. One by one they just gave up the fight. The only plants to survive were the old ones that I've had for several years, like the giant bamboo plant I showcased in my last blog post. These older plants have acclimated themselves to this environment and have absorbed that wisdom right down to their roots.
I can't think of a better analogy than this one when it comes to getting older. Sure, we may be a bit rough around the edges, and sometimes our bodies let us know in no uncertain terms that it's time to rest, cut back, and give ourselves some extra love. We know, deep down in our roots, what we need to to do thrive. We've been through all the storms and changes in life, and we know how to fight our way back to the surface and into the sun once more. Now, every time I look at that geranium blooming and reaching for the sky, I have an overwhelming urge to stand up, stretch, and do the same thing! Faith can grow lots of things, even us.
And so it is.
