THE SCENT OF A PLANT
Plants are definitely having a moment, they're beneficial to your health and look stylish, but have you ever stopped to think about how much joy having, growing and nurturing a plant truly brings?
Everyone has had an experience of getting emotional over a small new bud that grows out your beloved plant at the start of spring. Feeling fresher by summer trees’ green, awed by warm hues of autumn leaves and finally leaning on the winters cold but strong twigs of your solitude.
When we move to a new place or start a new business, we often give a small plant as a gift as a good luck charm. Plants are everywhere and very closely related to our daily lives, even when you don’t notice them.
So what exactly does a plant do in our lives? Do we ever have any time to think through this seemingly unimportant matter? Well, interestingly enough the more you keep the plant close, the longer you will have with them.
Us city dwellers, especially those who live in Seoul where the majority of people live in a condo without a lawn or let alone a balcony, think planting is not for me. It is just simply too much work and not suitable for an indoor space. That might be true. It was also true for me, before I experienced one magical moment.
This moment happened to me when I witnessed a new baby leaf out of a dead plant. A plant that I had killed the year before.Out of guilt and disappointment, I abandoned it to the corner of my house for the entire winter. But when spring came and I decided to throw it away, I found the tiny, new, light green leaf coming out of the twig. I was so touched by this scene. What have I done to deserve this creature? How can this be happening? After this, I set up a ritual to help keep my plant keep alive.
We have too many excuses for being busy. We always have no time to do the not-so-important chores. For most of us, planting is an unimportant, unnecessary chore. We get indifferent. But isn’t our life eventually the sum of these unimportant small acts? What makes life is often not the great deeds or the achievements. Growing a plant and caring for it is often at times what makes my routine happier and fuller. The greatest tip for growing a plant no matter where is ultimately the care that goes in to it. Name your plant and take a picture of your plant every day. Focus on its scent and shapes. This ritual will leave a wonderful trace in your day. I believe a small plant is the start of a great journey. Plants are everywhere but “my” plant exists only when you grow it.
