[Garden Memories: XXII]
At some point, we landscaped behind the waterfall with Coastal Redwoods. I say “at some point” because the time one plants a coastal redwood matters less than the stress over when to remove it. And that stress happens soon, as they grow so quickly.
There was a two-decade period when they were the big jam for landscapers in California. While native to CA, they aren’t native to sprawling suburbs where the demand for them was the highest. Everyone it seemed had Coastal Redwoods “installed” because the gratification came so soon. They grew like weeds!
Our three huge redwoods—since removed and replaced with far less intrusive plants—remind me what it means to live a life of meaning. Not of influence or fame; not comfort or luxury; but a life of purpose.
This is a spiritual consideration because living a life of purpose is less about accomplishments and goals and more about living consistently with our *native landscape*. The small decisions, beginning with how and when you wake up and how you spend your early morning hours, for example, are the things that accumulate into a life of purpose or not.
The critical question is not “Do those decision help you get to your goal?” but rather, “Are those decisions *native* to who you are suppose to be?” If they’re nonnative, you’ve likely made a thousand compromises trying to grow someone else’s garden.
Don’t plant Coastal Redwoods (unless you live on the coast, of course).
