A Grower Perspective

 I haven't had much time at home. Yesterday I was preparing our home for out-of-town company. I planned to serve dinner on our back deck so needed to get out there to clean things up. I realized that I had sorely neglected my beautiful patio containers. Lack of water and attention had left those plants droopy and looking out of sorts from the heat. I drenched them good and they quickly started to look better. By this morning, they had perked back up - nearly back to how they looked before.

The other day our 11-year-old son was doing some projects for Dave at the nursery. He was helping to plant in a new landscape area. Busy with what I was doing and not paying close attention, it was Michelle who noticed Max was getting somewhat red in the face and that he was slowly down - losing momentum. She asked him if he had water which he did but she discovered his water bottle completely full. He had gotten so immersed in his project that he had forgotten to stop and drink water. Michelle had him come in out of the sun to drink some fresh cool water. Michelle told me that after about 15 minutes he looked better and got his high energy level back, ready to go plant again.

It was Michelle who pointed out the similarity between people and plants. All living things need regular hydration. A lack of water leaves plants and people droopy and with little liveliness. The key is to pay attention to the symptoms of dehydration. In the early stages, people get red cheeks and lethargy sets in. Plants lose some color, droop and start to brown quickly. Just keeping a watchful eye and a plentiful supply of water keeps both people and plants healthy and robust.

I was grateful to Michelle for noticing Max's apparent need for water on a warm summer day. Now if I could only figure out a way to get her to look after the planters on my deck too!