gardening | The Enlightenment & Simple Living Institute

Purslane is a common weed and tasty snack

It went just like this last year. Early spring brings malva (mallow) and mustard as the predominant weeds in my yard. Then, I have a brief respite when I can look out at the quarter acre of mostly bare ground and breath easy. Since I’m used to California and the dry season, I think I am done weeding for the year. I relax my guard down, but suddenly the purslane (Portulaca oleracea) appears.

I am curious. How does it know when to emerge? But perhaps I have the answer. I know, from college studies of horticulture and plant physiology, that seed germination is a response to a number of environmental cues. Things like temperature, day length (photoperiodism), light exposure, and water exposure can activate germination and end the dormancy of the seed.

What is so surprising to me is that these same plants seemed to grow whenever and where ever I watered in California but here in Phoenix they seem locked into a biorhythm. I don’t think their genetic code for germination has changed, so it must be that my awareness of their pattern is enhanced.

I think my awareness is increased do to greater contrast. The weed life in my garden flourishes in the cool and warmer spring here in Phoenix. Then there is a lull before the succession to the next species ensues. The lull makes the second splash of life more dramatic. Last year I thought our summer rains stimulated the second growth, but I can see this year that the second emergence is already beginning, ahead of the monsoon.

Young purslane – a good stage for eating.

I am also willing to entertain a second level of genetic code regulating the first layer. When conditions are not right for germination seeds remain dormant. When the optimal light, heat, etc is present dormancy is unlocked and seeds begin the germination process. However, seeds that we purchase from the store often lack dormancy. This means that they will germinate given a little warmth and water. Wild seeds that have a more robust dormancy requires more stimulation than just water and heat.

What about purslane seeds I can purchase? Yes, you can purchase purslane seeds. And one would expect them to germinate with just water and warmth. This suggests that something about dormancy has been changed. This is the mystery. The genetic code has not been modified, yet my wild purslane does behave differently than purslane I might plant intentionally.

We all contain a huge amount of DNA that we don’t express. For instance, I have the genetic code to look like a frog, yet I only express the genetic code to look like a human. Likewise, wild and domestic purslane have the same coding (I don’t think Monsanto has been tinkering with this one, yet). However, there appears to be an intelligence in control., an intelligence that can foresee optimal germination conditions.

One of the things I value most is living in harmony with nature. My garden is one of those places where I get to interface with a wide variety of creatures on the planet. When I work in the garden I am mindful of what I am doing and why I am doing it. This is the same process of awareness that I use when I am doing all other activities, but the content of “why” varies slightly.

Two months ago I harvested huge heads of cauliflower. Once the flowering head of this vegetable has been picked, the plant is fairly well past its prime. Many people would then pull the whole plant and send it to the compost. I, instead, considered the option of non-action. This specimen had very large leaves which could serve additional purposes. In the ground, still living, those leaves served as “shade” for the young alder tree sapling that was next to it. In addition, the leaves were a future source of food for the pet rabbits I live with. It wasn’t until later that I realized the large leaves also served as a bird bath. They accumulated water from the sprinklers and held it within the shallow bowl the leaves formed naturally. Cauliflower Bird Bath

The “why” for pulling the plant could be mindlessness or it reflect a value for esthetics. I also want things to look ordered and nice, but I am conscious of my objective to make the garden at TESLI be in harmony with the land around. I find that many of the “weeds” I leave unpulled look somewhat unsightly, but the birds love the seeds and I am finding that I am becoming quite popular with my flying friends. In a “complex” living style, one might put up bird feeders and drive to the store to replenish the seeds. In a simple living style, one only has to leave weeds around and sit back and enjoy finches, sparrows and even love birds feast.

When I garden, I reflect on what is right action – sometimes I feel the drive to know what is the “best” way to act. This idea is addressed in a book I just finished reading. In A New Earth Eckhart Tolle writes on page 194:

“When we go into a forest that has not been interfered with by man, our thinking mind will see only disorder and chaos all around us. It won’t even be able to differentiate between life (good) and death (bad) anymore since everywhere new life grows out of rotting and decaying matter. Only if we are still enough inside and the noise of thinking subsides can we become aware that there is a hidden harmony here… The mind is more comfortable in a landscaped park because it has been planned through thought; it has not grown organically.”

I was intrigued by his statement. Many people are actually refreshed by the walk through a forest, despite all its disorder. Yet, those same people would not tolerate allowing plant debris to naturally decay around their houses. I wonder, who is making those decisions?

Reflection: Am I choosing to do things that are in alignment with my values? Am I thoughtful about the full ramifications of my actions?

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