At some point in life, someone will label us, or we will label ourselves, as either an introvert or an extrovert.
If we seem to draw energy from being alone, we’ll usually be called introverts. We think a lot without making a sound.
If we seem to draw energy from being around other people, we’ll be labeled extroverts. We think out loud.
But what if we draw energy from working in a garden? What if after a day of sharpening all the edges of all the borders in the garden by hand digging them, we are so tired and sore we can barely move, but yet we feel quite energetic, alive with ideas and ambition to do more?
What if after spending a few hours pulling out unwanted plants and replanting the area with new plants, we can’t wait to come across another blank spot in the garden so we can continue planting?
What if after a day in the garden, we feel like we have the energy to face the outside world once again and we have the ability to solve any problem life sends our way.
What if we do our best thinking while in a garden?
What label describes us then?
Plantovert.
That’s the label that describes that kind of person. Plantoverts draw more energy from plants and gardens than from being alone or being with people. They do their best thinking while gardening, and can also be either an introvert or an extrovert.
That would make some people Introvert Plantoverts. I bet they like to garden best in a back garden with a high fence all the way around it. And some people might be Extrovert Plantoverts. I think they probably like to garden in their front garden where people can see them and stop to chat with them.
Of course, new words need official definitions.
Plantovert
[plant-oh-vurt]
Noun
1. A person who draws energy from gardening or working around plants.
And here are a few sentences using this new word.
The plantoverts were always the first ones to arrive at the garden center in the spring.
Carol is a plantovert who often spends time alone in her garden, tending not only plants but also ideas.
If we can get enough people to use this new word, maybe we can get it added to an official dictionary?
Excellent new word. I believe I can be placed in that designation…Plantovert.
Me, too, Lisa! Great word, Carol. xoxo
Ditto!
I will work it into the next garden talk I give — next week in Stanstead, Quebec — to see how the audience responds. Since many of them will be plantoverts, I'm predicting a landslide victory for the word.
I love your new word! Maybe we can get it added to the dictionary…
I'm officially adding this book to my dictionary. If My husband and I ever retire, my local nurseries are going to declare a day of mourning.