Why we are rock gardeners?

[Kristl Walek]

This morning I ran into the following excerpt from Panayoti Kelaidis in the most recent Calgary Rock and Garden Society Newsletter, which serves as a wonderful reminder of why we are all here:

The little plant gems of the world are
increasingly disappearing under asphalt
and sprawling cities. They are
being paved under platforms for oil
rigs, for condos and second vacation
homes. I have come to realize that
if we rock gardeners are not there
to appreciate, to note and ultimately
help raise awareness of the value of
nature’s tiny gems, just who will?
Everyone acknowledges the beauty
of Flemish paintings or Impressionist
canvases, the handiwork of individuals
that took weeks or months of
inspiration and craftsmanship. An
Androsace on a cliff has been evolving
for billions of years. The intricate
webs of prairie ecosystems are the
end product of all evolution. We have
obliterated an astonishing proportion
of the world’s biodiversity in the blink
of a geologic eye.
Why are we rock gardeners?
Shakespeare assures us that there
is great providence in the fall of a
sparrow. I say that the majesty of the
ages resides within a delicate rock
plant, clinging to tenuous survival on
a cliff. We who seek these out, and
grow them, popularize and sing their
praises help (in some karmic way, I
am convinced) to shine a spotlight
on their value, and assure that not all
the tiny, tender minions of the world
will be blasted to smithereens for the
false prophet of progress and profit.

[tonyg]

Panayoti in full flow - a powerful oration!  Thanks for sharing this, it does address the question well.

[Maggi Young]

Dear PK.... proving that he's not just a pretty face.
 Beautifully put, PK .....and thanks to Kristl for drawing it to our attention.


So apt to state that we  can find ourselves the guardians and the defenders of so much that is good in the world....and makes a conversation we had the other evening, vis a vis the matter of plant protection versus habitiat destruction seem all the more frustrating.

[cohan]

this, and maggi's comments, make me think of a tv show i saw not long ago, which attempted to retrace the journey of a tiger in india, which had been documented and filmed extensively in a tiger reserve, then left the reserve and was found killed by a train far out of the area where tigers were expected..

the filmmakers realised in the journey that in fact this was not a weird place for a tiger to have gone, but rather followed a natural corridor which should have been home to tigers, but where they had been exterminated;
at least partly as a result of the publicity of the film/story, several points along that route have been made into parks, and programs to restore tiger populations are underway/consdideration..

the relevance is that the filmakers raise the point that iconic species can be vital to conservation, since it is very difficult to excite the average person about a rodent, insect or tiny plant, but if you can get them behind the preservation of a charismatic animal, the entire ecosystem may be preserved; in this case, the fate of an entire forested region is considered to be tied to the fate of the tiger, and subsequently the fate of the watersheds and the people who live there! there are no doubt many wonderful plant species in this area which will go along for the ride--whichever way it goes!

[Lesley Cox]

PK has drawn attention to the fact that we all have a real responsibility to preserve and conserve. There's more to being a rock gardener than just planting some things and subsequently enjoying the flowers. Our current govt has just done assorted deals with Maori tribes and with conglomerates, permitting them to plant forest trees (pines) on conservation land, in order that those parties can claim carbon credits, and for no better ethical reasons than political support in years to come. That the land in question may not be National Park or the most significant parts of the conservation estate, is irrelevant since these deals are undoubtedly the thin end of the wedge and more land will be at risk as time goes on. There is precious little the govt - and most govts - won't do as a matter of principle.