IGNORANCE IS MORE ABOUT WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW...BUT DON'T

In an attempt to reduce some back straining work, the past two winters I have taken some risk with my Japanese Maples that I grow in containers. This stretch of frigid weather will no doubt be a test. My hope is to find out that these trees are tougher than I previously thought which will mean all the back straining work I went through for years wasn't necessary, but I lived believing it was simply by the power of a mistaken notion. Wonder how many of those things we have in our lives that keep us busy/exhausted and hurting ourselves and others along with the worrying it all creates is simply due to us believing something that isn't true? Confining small boxes and fear can have that effect on us.



I have had this tree for about 8 years and it has been grown in this wooden box for most of that time. I love how the branching of this tree twists and turns and how densely packed the buds are along the branches.



















The branching disappears under a dense layer of green leaves closely stacked one on another once it leafs out. It's such a unique looking tree.



Growing trees in boxes reduces the rate of growth significantly and for a gardener with limited space and a love for trees, that works pretty well. But it is not natural and it's a highly controlled environment that then requires many more steps and procedures to keep it alive. If this tree was in the ground where it's roots could function in the way they were designed to function, this same tree would probably be 6-8 ft. tall after 8 years compared to the 3 ft. it has reached in this box.

People aren't any different. Box them in with a limited vision of what they have been created for and what is possible and the same stunted growth will occur. Allow them the same freedom their Creator has given them and you might just be surprised what happens.