Saturday, December 26, 2009

The value in a plant

Many people have their own favorite plants and style of gardening. The reason one person appreciates one particular plant versus another is complex and simple, if that's possible.

You can take any genus of plant or group of similar looking/growing plants. Most have several hundred varieties within one species. The Genus Rosa or Rose has over 100 species giving us 1000's of different roses. The same applies to many other groups of flowers and trees. It is amazing that there could arise 100's of different types of red rose, each looking unique and beautiful. It is more amazing and telling that for every rose or plant out there, it is probably somebody's favorite. God and nature and the creative drive in man give us variety of beauty to fill the complex and diverse variety of taste, style, and eye for beauty that all of us have.

So there is purpose in that there is not a developed and discovered rose or other flower that isn't somebody's favorite. In the same way there is purpose in that one rose will not satisfy all. For one, to continue pushing man to be creative in making more, and for two showing us if we see it, that like a rose, we are all unique and we appreciate beauty individually and in a unique way.

Where there is beauty there is also ugliness or another word would be disease. Just as we suffer disease, plants carry and transmit diseases that are deadly. I wouldn't use the word suffer however but it is another reminder of how we are. The most beautiful plant can fall to any number of diseases. Some tougher than others. I think it is something to think about that many times the most beautiful plants are in fact the most sensitive to harmful diseases. Where some of the most boring looking plants can survive in what we would consider dreadful conditions. Why?

I think for two reasons. One, we value what we see is beautiful. There are few things in this life that have value to us, that will be protected and secure without care and nurturing of it (family, friends, etc.) Just a micro metaphor of how God provides beautiful things for the garden that will become ugly without the proper care.

If you look at the entire character of the plant just as in a person there is value in that strong stable character of a pine. There is value in that unique beauty of a rose. You are trading one thing for another most of the time, especially with plants. The fact is even pines will fall to some disease or they will just fall on top of the house. The fact is some roses are resistant to the most prevalent diseases. I think these are the most valued plants objectively; those that are beautiful and strong. This is what we want but is it a bad thing for us to have to care and understand the things that are beautiful to us but. Luckily there will never be an indestructible plant; even if we wanted it, it would not be so great.

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