Roots
“Deep in
their roots, all flowers keep the light.”
Theodore
Roethke
I have four orchid plants
sitting on my kitchen counter amid the usual clutter of everyday
life. They have been given to me at different times from various
people; two from my friend, Isie, one from my friend, Andy, and one
from the little boy next door. I'd always been told that orchids were
difficult to grow, needed special attention, and specific conditions
to thrive. These just sit on the counter, soak up the light from a
kitchen window, and get watered once a week. They put up their bloom
stalks about this time each year (when it would be summer in their
native land), provide a cascade of beautiful flowers, and are no
trouble at all. Two of them have loads of air roots—the tentacles
orchids use to hold onto tree limbs where they normally grow, and
to bring in extra nutrients from the air. The two plants I have had
longest do not have air roots. I think they have come to trust that
they will be watered and fed, so they don't need to waste energy by
sending out loads of air roots. Call me crazy!
Forest Scientist, Suzanne
Simard, in her TED talk, “How Trees Talk to Each Other,” told of
her more than 30 years of research with varied species of trees growing in
forests. She discovered that by way of the underground network of
intersecting roots, they communicate. Through the use of carbon,
nitrogen, phosphorus, water, allele chemicals, and hormones, they
send extra nutrients to one anther, even though they are not the same
species. Not only that, but the fungi and mushrooms that grow on
forest floors put out extensive underground systems of mycelium that
act as a kind of message carrier among the trees; rather like
synapses in our nervous system. Trees even send out distress and
defense signals to one another. Simard's work is with Douglas Fir and
Paper Birch, but can be extrapolated to other forests and other tree
species. There's a real cooperative, interactive community right beneath your
feet.
We, too, have roots. They
extend out to the people and communities that we encourage and
support, and that give back to us. I would include our four legged
friends in that category. Through our roots, we share nutrients of
the spirit, and reach out to defend and provide for each other. When
we store enough light in our roots to keep us healthy and strong, we
have plenty to share with others, even with those who are different
from us.
In the Spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment