We all thrive on sunshine, we are dependent on water for survival, and we are dependent on vegetation and greenery. No matter however high-tech we have become, we need to live in sync with nature. We need to build a stronger relationship with nature. Greenery is the one thing we cut out on every corner for constructing houses, buildings, bridges etc., yet it is the one thing we spend every day fighting to live with.
For all of us three things are most essential for life: clean air, clean water and healthy food. All of them are directly linked to plant life. Because plants produce oxygen, plant clean and retain water, and plants form the basis of our entire food chain. They do this very silently and continuously. We take them for granted because we often forget that that quiet trees, or that little greenery planted in our window is actually working very hard for us.
Recently I came across a WhatsApp message: a man from Akluj, in Solapur District, Maharashtra State who is a regular traveler from Akluj to Mumbai, never discards fruit seeds; instead of throwing away the fruit seeds (especially custard apples) he washes them, cleans them and throws them on barren lands/valleys/farms etc while travelling. This kindhearted man has mentioned in one of his interviews in a local newspaper: it seems he buys custard apples each time from the fruit sellers on the roadside during his travels. He casually asked them from where they purchase the fruits, and to his surprise the fruit sellers told him that they pluck fruits from trees grown in the valleys and roadside trees. This gentleman was overwhelmed with their response……..his efforts have borne fruits. He says don’t throw seeds away.
Many kind hearted people have been sending messages on social media about germinating fruit seeds instead of throwing them away in waste, my request to all is kindly don’t throw the seeds, wash them and keep it in a plastic pouch in your vehicles, whenever you go out and find barren land while travelling, on a highway throw these seeds. They will simply germinate in the monsoon. In many towns people have adapted this idea and have seen great results. Let’s have abundance in nature this way. Let’s make it a mission. Let’s have good future for our next generation. Don’t throw the seeds away.
I read Dr V Raj Shekar Tummala’s interview in Hindu newspaper – he is a senior scientist and ecologist. He says that the seeds of summer fruits such as mango, jackfruit, jamun germinate when thrown in barren land, only if they are soaked in water and the seed coats must be removed before they are sown. A bit of care needs to be taken, which I think is not a problem. We can do this easily.
Recently, I read the blog of Konstantinos Karoubas, in which he has mentioned that In October, November and December of 2013, he and his team placed about 20,000 almond and apricot seeds in the ground in different locations in North Greece, near Thessaloniki and the South Greece near Sparta. Elevations varied from 200 to 1100 meters. They were places at 8 different locations. The climate in each area is different. Although, the climate of Greece is typically Mediterranean, it depends on the location. The record hot and record cold temperatures are 48°C or 118°F (the hottest in mainland Europe, in Athens) and -29.9°C or -21°F (in the north-west city of Florina, commonly referred to as the coldest area in Greece), respectively.
It costs around 3.5 cents (euros) to buy the seeds and the labor to place them. They placed around 200 to 250 seeds per hour in the ground in flat terrain. In difficult terrain this drops down to 60 to 100 per hour and the cost increases.
When he visited the locations after six months in Northern Greece near Thessaloniki, where he had planted hundreds of almond and apricot seeds, and a couple cactus pads were placed on the ground – the results were very, very encouraging. More than 90% of the trees survived the long hot summer. In his own words, he found this very amazing, almost a miracle. He mentions that his team’s effort to find ways to economically reforest and improve the soil in Greece have a very positive impact, and they all feel great. Karoubas and his team are monitoring the plantations and are making efforts rigorously to reforest.
Do you know that, the color of the Year 2017 is greenery! It has been announced by the Pantone Color Institute – they are called the authority on colors. The institute helps organizations make the most informed decisions about color for their brands, logos, mascots or designs. Whether it is color trend, forecasting or brand color development. The Pantone Color Institute can guide you through the development of a color strategy that fits your company’s unique needs.
The color of 2017 is full of life, a renewed sense of nature and the bright, cheery mood the world desperately needs, that’s how the color of greenery was chosen. In the year 2017 let greenery come shining into the world with vigor and surprise. While the message they have given balances both societal and political nuances. This happy-go-lucky shade cannot be disliked by anybody. It’s full of life, it’s refreshing, and it’s a breezy color of springtime. If anybody dislikes the color, it is like hating the morning sunshine peeking out from behind the hills.
Have you ever wondered how the world would look like without trees? Try to imagine a barren earth……… it’s so, so scary. Trees are a crucial factor to our existence, they serve an important role in the carbon cycle. Let us all join hands to grow more plants on this planet. Let’s take simple steps, let’s not throw the seeds of fruits, flowers in dustbins, let us store them and throw in barren lands, farms, roadside greenery, gardens and backyards. Seeds are life, I think we have lost connection with the life-giving properties of seeds. We are so immersed in our highly commercial and materialistic culture, that we are losing connect with the nature.
