The Stories Plants Tell About Their People
Plants are deeply woven into our lives, our language and our psyches. Like Proust’s famous madeleine, our 5 senses subliminally integrate their presence even when our conscious brains do not. For example, the lush sight of a rose reminds you of your grandmother; the sticky sweet smell of a ripe pineapple brings back that magical honeymoon luau; the stinging touch of a trailside nettle evokes a sweaty hike on a summer’s day; the rustling sound of grasses in the dunes recaptures a trip to the beach; and the taste of a sprig of mint recalls the laughter of time with friends.
Plants comprise the vast solar array on which all life on Earth depends, essential for our fresh air, our food supply, our clean water, our fossil fuels, our medicines and more. They are the backbone of our economies and of our social interactions. Humans would like to believe that we are in control, but perhaps it is the plants, Kingdom Plantae, quietly in the background who really “rule the roost”.
Plants are the primary producers of our planet, meaning that we need them far more than they need us. By day, they manipulate us as we enjoy a beautiful bouquet, light a lavender scented candle, eat a salad, put on a cotton shirt, or light a cozy fire while enjoying a glass of wine. And at night, the sounds of wind in the trees reminds us that they’re out there, growing and supporting life 24/7. In fact, plants are the primary producers for all life on Earth. In both urban and in wild environments, nocturnal creatures - from owls to raccoons to hippos - at elevations from underground to high in the tree canopy, are also living in, harvesting and depending on plants just as we do. Powerful beings indeed: though we bend them with the slightest touch, they break concrete while we are not watching.
Why do plants so often become the trigger to memory like the intoxicating smell of chocolate coating on Proust’s madeleine wafting out of the kitchen? I believe that it is precisely because they are core to our survival that we are directly hardwired to them in ways we fail to consciously acknowledge. Indeed, plants are so essential that green is the color we see best: we are drawn to plants because “We Can’t Live Without Them”.
The delicate threads of memory - tales of humor, sadness, joy, grace, pain, wonder, transformation, acceptance, anger and compassion - are always worthy of telling and retelling. Our first blog theme collects:
These are: The Stories Plants Tell About Their People
COPYRIGHT NOTICES:
Blog content: PlantShare LLC, copyright 2023 - present. All Rights Reserved.
Cover image by: geralt, 2014, "Earth Globe Birth royalty-free stock illustration". Source: Pixabay