Lessons from our Plants

Twenty-five years ago, a coworker gave my husband a cutting from her jade plant. Now, we have many, many jade plants in our home. Our largest plant was about five feet wide when our cockatoo decided that it looked tasty. He did some severe damage, and we had to divide it into two or three smaller plants. They thrived, and as other branches were accidentally broken off (I still feel bad about an incident involving the vacuum cleaner handle that fell and severed a large limb.), we planted them in pots.

Soon we had new members of our plant family. We have what we fondly refer to as “the nursery” as well as several large windowsills where large jade plants have displaced the cats. We have to guard the plants against our foraging cockatoo since he still sees them as crunchy and delicious!

Today, I noticed something new in the nursery. Jade plants tend to be a bit top-heavy when they’re young. The petals at the top will make the entire stalk lean or bend over. My husband has devised little supports for them until the stalk gets large enough to support the plants’ upper part. But sometimes, the plants have other plans. I found two little saplings that decided they were stronger together as their top petals grow enough to absorb the nutritious sunlight.

Even plants know that we are stronger when we have a friend or mate holding our hand. Neither plant is weaker or leaning on the other, yet they both stand taller because they stand together.

Neither my husband nor I have much of a green thumb. I certainly don’t speak “plant” the way I speak “critter,” but we do our best. Our big successes are with succulents. They are forgiving and barely notice a little neglect – just our style.