Roots, literal and otherwise...

Several of the succulent cuttings I took last fall have developed air roots.

There is something a little unnerving about them, kind of like old man ear hairs (I know…and yes, I’m sorry).

As January progresses I've been thinking about Spring Fever, one of my favorite essays from The Roots of My Obsession. It was written by William Cullina and this particular passage I can’t seem to forget:

“In truth my gardening life would be greatly diminished without winter. The blanket of snow puts the tangible parts of gardening out of sight and out of mind, so when spring comes, it is the very first spring. Without winter, there would be no end–and no beginning. Last year’s season would trail on into this like a dull conversation filtering in from the room next door and preventing me from sleep. Still, I can’t wait for spring.”

“Without winter there would be no end–and no beginning” makes me wonder…what would it be like to garden with no end and no beginning? Would I love it? I think I would, but until you experience something for yourself how do you really know?

I also got a little lost in this comment from Tom on a recent Alternative Eden post by Mark and Gaz…

“Sometimes I really hate the winter but then I realize it's a blessing in disguise. Every time I visit a tropical climate in the winter everyone’s gardens look tired and unkempt, probably because they're just tired of gardening. At least here we have a forced break from gardening which allows us to be excited about it all over again. I think having a spring time where EVERYTHING is fresh and new again is also really helpful, I imagine living in a climate where everything is growing all the time there really wouldn't be any one single time where everything is fresh and new.”

Imagine…