The Man Who Planted Trees
Years ago, I was googling something about gardening when I stumbled upon this beautiful story called "The Man Who Planted Trees." I read and re-read the short story by Jean Giono, and I watched and re-watched the animated version.
The idea that 100 seeds a day could literally change the landscape of the country, the weather, and even people for the better gave me so much hope. I shared the story with my kids. I even did a presentation for my kids' homeschool group and gave everyone 100 sunflower seeds. The idea of Compound Effect and the way that nature can reap such huge rewards from small things like seeds made me want to start a positive movement of my own.
Keep reading to find out how this allegorical story inspired me to start my own company and write a book about gardens.
(Prefer to listen? Check out this story in episode 18 of the Grow Your Self podcast, "The Girl Who Planted Gardens", on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and iHeart Radio.)
The Allegory of "The Man Who Planted Trees"
I highly recommend you watch an animated version or read the full version of this allegory. Here is a summary:
A man was traveling through a barren region of the Alps when he came across a shepherd, who gave him a drink from his water gourd and took him to his cottage to recover from his long journey. While the man rested, the shepherd sorted through a bag of acorns, separating the good from the bad, before eventually selecting 100 perfect acorns. The man followed the shepherd to the top of a ridge, where the shepherd began using an iron rod to make holes in the earth and, with great care, planting the acorns—future oak trees.
The shepherd explained that he doesn't know whom the land belongs to, but he has been planting trees in the area for three years. After losing his only son and then his wife, the shepherd had found solace in living a quiet life with his lambs and his dog. Seeing that the land was dying because of a lack of tress, he took it upon himself to solve this one problem. Of the 100,000 acorns planted so far, 20,000 had sprouted, though he expected to lose about half of those to rodents or chance. That meant there would be 10,000 trees growing where nothing had grown before.
When the man assured him that his 10,000 trees would be magnificent in 30 years, the shepherd responded that, if given another 30 years to plant trees, the original trees would be "like a drop of water in the ocean." In addition to oaks, he planned to plant beechnuts and birch trees.
Ten years later, the man traveled back to the same region of the Alps to see the trees that were now taller than him.
It was an impressive spectacle. I was literally speechless and, as he did not talk, we spent the whole day walking in silence through his forest... When you remembered that all this had sprung from the hands and the soul of this one man, without technical resources, you understood that humans could be as effectual as God in other realms than that of destruction."
The man noticed that the trees had created a chain reaction of life in the area, and there were now bubbling brooks, meadows, and flowers where there had been none on his first visit.
The man returned after another 25 years had passed, and a once-abandoned village was flourishing. Young families had restored dilapidated houses and planted vegetable gardens, and streams fed by rain and snow conserved by the forest trickled toward farmlands. Their happiness in this peaceful setting, the man reflected, was due to the diligent labor of just one man who planted trees.
When I reflect that one man, armed only with his own physical and moral resources, was able to cause this land of Canaan to spring from the wasteland, I am convinced that, in spite of everything, humanity is admirable... I am taken with an immense respect for that old and unlearned peasant who was able to complete a work worthy of God."
The Man Who Planted Trees Inspired the Girl Who Planted Gardens
It was this story of how 100 seeds a day became a symbol of resurrection that inspired me to start Rooted Garden in 2015 with the lofty goal of creating 100 gardens in one year.
I knew I couldn't plant hillsides of trees, but I could do something.
I could aim for 100 new kitchen gardens in one year, and those gardens would make a difference. I could picture neighborhoods with kitchen gardens in each backyard, bees buzzing as they flew from one space to the next, butterflies opening their wings and flitting from one flower to the next, toads and frogs finding new places to hide and thrive.
I could picture neighbors outside, instead of in, sharing harvests, meeting one another (perhaps for the first time), relishing in what's growing, congratulating one another on their successes, and grieving together over that prize tomato that the squirrel took.
I couldn't be the man who planted trees, but I could be something—I could be the girl who planted gardens.
In my first Rooted Garden newsletter, I announced that I'd like to start 100 new gardens in Houston that year. It was, of course, the allegory that gave me that beautiful round number to aim toward.
The Girl Who Planted Gardens Wrote a Book About Them
It was my success with Rooted Garden that led me to write a book about kitchen gardening. I called it Kitchen Garden Revival because I hoped to help bring back something that, like the tree-covered land at the beginning of the story, was lost to us. Gardens used to be part of everyday life for thousands of years, and I think our world could be so much better if we returned to that.
If each one of us could grow a little bit of our food, we would feel connected to our food sources once again. We'd have less food waste and fewer food miles, we'd support beneficial insects, and we'd help our communities in so many small ways that could have a Compound Effect.
Elevate your backyard veggie patch into a sophisticated and stylish work of art
Kitchen Garden Revival guides you through every aspect of kitchen gardening, from design to harvesting—with expert advice from author Nicole Johnsey Burke, founder of Rooted Garden, one of the leading US culinary landscape companies, and Gardenary, an online kitchen gardening education and resource company.
The Compound Effect
The Compound Effect is a powerful idea—it goes beyond a simple 1 + 1 equation and shows how things can build and expand quickly over time when done a little bit at a time.
You can create your own Compound Effect and make a huge difference right where you are.
Here are some ideas:
- Plant a seed each day
- Commit to composting all of your food waste
- Start a kitchen garden this year
- Commit to growing your own herbs this year
- Share your garden knowledge and experience with others
There are more than 100 ways to do 100 things each day. So, pick one thing you'd like to do to make a difference and do a little each day.
The Compound Effect is real, and you can change the world for the better, even if it's just one seed at a time.
Start Your Own Positive Movement with Gardenary
Gardenary exists to help gardeners of all levels grow and connect with other gardeners. Check out some of these resources to help you get started making a difference right where you are:
- Grab a copy of my book, Kitchen Garden Revival, to learn how to plan, plant, and tend your own kitchen garden.
- Become a member of Gardenary 365. We've broken up gardening into smaller sets of skills that you can master in about 10 minutes each day. You don't have to focus on the forest; you can learn to grow your own herbs, then leafy greens, then roots, then fruits with our popular online gardening classes.
- Find a garden coach near you to help you learn how to garden in your unique climate.
- Enroll in Kitchen Garden Academy to learn how set up your own kitchen garden, with help from our experts and alongside a community of fellow gardeners.
You don't have to plant seeds of change alone. Imagine what an impact we can have when we're all growing together!
Kitchen Garden Academy guides you through each step of setting up your own kitchen garden. You'll learn directly from Nicole Burke and be supported inside a great community of gardeners.
