10 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Plants
Thanksgiving is a time for reflection as we search out the blessings and events that have shaped our year.
Usually, our family comes to mind first. New additions, graduations, mile stones reached, memorable vacations and special occasions warm our hearts as we reflect on these good times and memories. Memories that are the glue that binds.
Other blessings come in material form. Maybe you have had a promotion or a good investment year. Maybe you have reached a milestone goal or retirement goal. Maybe you Hit The Lottery!
And then there are personal life blessings. Maybe you have found a new friend. Maybe you fell in Love.
But, this article is not about all that, even though I love thinking about it.
This article is about our plants. Let us Gardener’s not forget to be thankful for them. We have spent the whole growing season with them, planting, nurturing, weeding, watering, enjoying their beauty, and feasting on their harvest. Now they lie dormant as the season ends.
But Do Not Fret. They lay patiently waiting to awake and spend time with us again.
Here are 10 reasons to be thankful for our plants.
- They respond to our care and attention.
Have you ever gone out of your way to do something special for something or somebody and for some reason are not feeling the love or appreciation for that act. It happens. I know we are not supposed to do good deeds for reward or acknowledgement. But, when we do acts of kindness or help above and beyond we would like to know that somehow the world is a more joyous and a better place because of our actions.
When we perceive the recognition and positive results it invigorates us to do more. Without it we grow tired and may think, “ Why try. It doesn’t do any good anyways”.
Plants almost always reward us for the attention we give them. The more we research, fertilize, weed, and water the more beautiful and productive they get. All that above and beyond effort is rewarded every day with their healthy faces and bountiful harvests.
- They are always there waiting for us to spend time with them.
- They are constantly working for us, spending the day grabbing nutrients and water from the soil to provide us with their God given purpose.
- They will give you the shirt off their back. Do you need a bouquet of flowers? Come and take it. How about a fresh tomato. Come and get it. Of course, fresh it will be.
- Plants provide many people with a lively hood.There are many, many people across the world who support themselves and their families by raising and harvesting plants.
- Plants make great employees. They never complain and only charge you your sweat and labor in return. They need care though. If not cared for they won’t complain but they may not produce either. I guess we could say they are the first “ Sit Down Strike” or “Passive Demonstration” group.
- Caring for plants provides us with Reverancefor the miracles of plants and seeds. How can a little seed become a huge oak tree? It makes us question, how were all these miraculous recurring plant phenomena set in motion. When I look at a field of newly sprouting corn or the beauty of a fully bloomed hibiscus I have to think there is an all powerful gardener who loves gardening as much as we do.
- Caring for plants provides us with character. How about respect for laborand the effort needed to clear a field. Can you imagine the hard work our forefathers undertook to clear wooded fields for planting, without modern machinery. How about Patience to plant, wait, and then harvest. It also teaches us Respect for our earth and nature as we spend time in the bosom of mother nature herself.
- Plants provide soooo many things. Medicine, Building Products, Foods for animal, insect, and humans. They provide the materials and building blocks of our daily needs. Can you imagine a world without plants. Forget it. No. A different world than we live in. Oh and let’s not forget oxygen. Need a lot of that.
- And ‘’’’’ Drum roll’’’’’’ The most important reason to be thankful for your plants is that they are constantly beckoning you to come outside and play.And when you do, you are exercising, getting that heart rate up, and keeping the blood flowing. YOU keeping THEM healthy is actually keeping YOU healthy. Huh, pretty amazing.
Plants are amazing and a gift from above. Just a thought about being thankful for them. Like I said, can you imagine a world without them.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. It was written for your pleasure. All work and no play is not good.
If you have time and are interested we make portable irrigation drip systems called Watering Rocks. You can see them and other gardening blogs at www.watering-rocks.com
Jim
