Just Plant It

On our property there are a great number of plants growing, and I initially placed almost of them in the ground—notable exceptions including trees 80 feet and higher. Early on I learned to read about each species, gathering information on requirements for type of soil, drainage, sunlight, pruning, and more. Then I tried to comply with the requirements, and on the whole they grew well.

But some plants just struggled. Even though I followed the instructions, they grew poorly, some of them failing to grow at all and eventually dying.

Sometimes I learned why a particular species failed to thrive, while in other instances I never did figure it out. So then what? Usually I tried another kind of plant where their predecessors had died. Mostly those plants grew better, but sometimes not.

Mostly I learned to just stick plants in the ground and see what happened. There were no guarantees. Sure, I still did research, dug holes the right size, surrounded the roots with good topsoil, mulched the ground, fertilized the soil, and watered when the rainfall was insufficient.

I learned not to worry about the outcome. I didn’t worry that some plants would die, or I wouldn’t have the lush gardens I have now. Just stick ‘em in the ground and do your best, much like the approach I use now with loving people. No, I don’t “stick ‘em” in the ground, but I just do the best I can to love them, much like planting seeds or small plants. Sometimes the love grows vigorously, while at other times it withers and dies. Just keep planting, watering, and fertilizing, and let go of worrying about the results. It’s more fun and more realistic.