It’s Human to Love Plants

It’s Human to Love Plants

Humans on this earth are imperfect beings, and with all our flaws, we are in a constant search for improvement. This happens on a personal level and, under normal circumstances, also at the species level.

For plants—and I’d say for animals as well—this process took place thousands of years ago, without any need for human intervention. We, on the other hand, are lagging behind, trapped in cycles where we repeatedly give power to idiots. And with that power, they manage to push us back hundreds of years, holding us back as a civilization.

Plants don’t have this problem: they continuously adapt to environmental conditions, even the most catastrophic ones. They even adapt to us, while we search in them for the perfection we lack. And because we don’t possess it, we fail to recognize it in those who do—like plants.

This applies to both wild plants and those living in our homes and gardens. If we were a little more observant, if we could embrace their perfect imperfection, we would all be more relaxed. And our plants probably would be too.

All of this crossed my mind while I was watering my plants. As I stood near them, I noticed that my XXL Monstera had a fold that I didn’t like. I was about to correct it, but then…

I realized how arrogant it was to think I knew what was best for the plant.

Yes, I know a lot about plants. I give advice to many people and help them avoid major mistakes, learning from the ones I’ve made in the past. But if we truly love plants, we must also accept their choices—the ones that seem imperfect to us but make perfect sense to them.

Too philosophical? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just my senile nonsense. I guess I’ll have to make peace with that too.