Potted Plant | East Wenatchee, WA | April 2020
Things Around the House | There it is — one gazillionth of the great global churn of photosynthesis, and it lounges languorously in our dining room window. This rooted resident is an unspecified house plant, actually a type of stunted tree, that works all day to convert sunlight into snacks that fuel its growth and — how to put this delicately? — pass the gas (oxygen) that helps keep us alive. Remarkably, this leafed being breathes in tune with plateau grasses, riverside thickets, mountain forests and even that distant cousin phytoplankton, who only sends a Christmas card every few years. In isolation, I’ve begun to sense a deepening connection between me and the household greenery. I mean, doesn’t everyone talk to their plants? Ask them if they’re thirsty? Hungry? And lean in to listen for a slight sigh of contentment?
IrwinFoto 