The first time I visited Florida was the spring of 1960. Lynn and I and another couple rode in their car from Maryland to Orlando. I remember spotting my first palm tree. The sight gave me an instant feeling of being somewhere truly new. Ever since, I have had a respect for the emotional effect of vegetation. Whether it is palm trees or giant cactus or undulating fields of wheat stretching off in every direction, the nature of the plants can determine the nature of the feel of a place, to a large extent.
Other presences matter, too, of course. Alligators or black bears or armadillos or small, swift chameleons can all affect the feel of where you are. But the plants are right there, in view, not seen once in a while but steadily. We actually have some palms, inside, in central Wisconsin. There is even one outside a bar, but it is made of metal.
The natural vegetation just stands there, silently, continuously, like mountains or lakes, but alive, like me. Different sunlight hours, different rainfall, warmer or colder temperatures – all those factors from latitude differences stand behind the plants, nurturers of us all throughout our lives.
