Carpe Diem

Rhoeo growing in a rock wall

Seize the day!

This sentiment was expressed in one of my favourite movies of all time:  Dead Poet’s Society.

On my neighbourhood ramblings, I’m intrigued to see the opportunistic habits of the plant world. From the tiny flowers taking root in impossible places like the cracks between pavers, to the creepers shooting up anything vertical having been transported and transformed in the gut of fruit bats or birds, ready to take root where they drop. And then there are the epiphytic plants like the Staghorns, mosses and fungi. It seems these hardy survivors have seized their day – taken the opportunity to not just survive, but to flourish.

Various mosses growing on palm bole

Epiphytic Staghorn ferns attached to a Callistemon trunk

Other plants struggle, fail to thrive or they even die, despite the attentions lavished upon them.

Recently I planted seedlings for summer greens. Despite attending their every need, they simply turned up there toes and snuffed it. Later when pondering this small disaster (no home-grown salads), I decided it was probably too late in the season for the variety I’d planted. In contrast, Laughing Weed, my name for a ubiquitous flat, ground weed (because it appears to laugh at every attempt be rid of it), grows in places no self respecting plant would consider.

It would seem conditions in my tiny garden were ideal for certain ‘bad’ plants but not for some of the ‘good’ ones.

The dreaded ‘Laughing Weed’ amongst No-mow (Zoysia) grass

Thoughts are like plants. It’s their nature to drop into any potentially fertile ground and take root.  Well, these are the ones we notice; the ones that survive.

So why do certain thoughts flourish while others – sometimes more worthy, shrivel and die on the vine? It seems some thoughts are ‘weedy’ opportunistic types, having no beneficial value, often sneaking up on the more positive and worthy ones to takeover and affect our whole being. Dark devious creatures, they feed off each other to proliferate and stage dazzling coups d’etats. They ‘seize’ control because the conditions are favourable. Because we let them.

Like those opportunistic Laughing Weeds which multiply while I look at them, I have decided to seize this day – by the throat if I have to – and firstly notice and then strive to nurture only those beneficial thoughts.

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive. ~Elbert Hubbard

Carpe Diem

Rogue curcubits attempting a take over of my flowering vine

Mature Staghorn Fern attached to  palm bole