Everything I Know, I Learned From Gardening: Roots

If you force hyacinth bulbs in vases, you’ll notice that before the shoot sprouts, the roots grow.

The roots are the foundation. They help to anchor the bulb in the vase before the top-heavy shoot starts to develop.

The roots are the source of sustenance. They deliver up the moisture the bulb needs to grow the leaves, stems, and eventually flowers.

The roots don’t need to be showy to work. Whether underground or underwater, they just do their part.

We all need good roots to ground us.

Of course, we can stretch ourselves away from our roots—and we should try to stretch away from them occasionally—but we should never break them off. Not entirely. We need those roots for when the wind blows and tries to carry us off or knock us down.

Good roots. We need them.