Plant poaching parables

Jeffrey P. Blum, Contributor

Participating in my mother’s pachysandra plant hunts was one of my most mortifying experiences while growing up. We would head out as a family in search of the green ivy-looking plants so that my mother could poach them and plant them in our yard. We started by searching vacant lots in our town. However, as my mother became more desperate for the plant, she became bolder. As a result, we’d hover and pounce in areas near where we lived. Our house, along with several others in our neighborhood, abutted a park in our backyards. So, what’s so terrible about exploring a park and digging out a few stray scattered plants on the outskirts of our neighbor’s property? Eventually, we were able to cover nearly the entirety of our large front yard with pachysandra. Regrettably, I do not recall anyone ever complimenting us for having an exquisite-looking front yard.

I was terrified of these family outings, fearful that one of our neighbors, or more dreadfully, one of my high school classmates, would spot me, spread the word to others about me participating in a really goofy endeavor, and expose me to merciless ridicule.

Although my mother’s been gone many years, memories like this one and thoughts about other crazy things my mother did, help me understand my own idiosyncrasies. They also explain where some of the weird ideas I have passed along to my children originated from. A bit of off-the-wall thinking seems to run from generation to generation. Thankfully, the crazy ideas I passed along to my children have been few and far between.

Hidden in crazy activities such as the pachysandra poaches were valuable life lessons. I learned to appreciate different types of people and laugh at how we are all a bit crazy.

Beyond the obvious humor, I came to realize these experiences brought our family together for bonding time and reinforced the importance of teamwork, as we each had assigned tasks. Since I was the oldest boy, my mother assigned me the task of being the digger. My younger brother served as a lookout for wandering neighbors and cops. My older sister was the searcher. Her job was the most important, as she had to not only spot the treasured plant but also warn us of any poison ivy in the area, since it was prevalent, and it looks like pachysandra. Meanwhile, my dad drove the car when we needed one, and my mother just ordered us all around.

We’ve all been in team-building exercises at work retreats or in training for our volunteer endeavors, but I imagine few such opportunities can match this pachysandra plant pursuit. It is a lesson one would have a hard time forgetting. However, perhaps for obvious reasons, I am reluctant to suggest it the next time I am asked to participate in a team-building exercise.

The pachysandra poaching incident came to mind recently as I worked with many others to prepare for our Rotary Club of Los Gatos Crab Fest, which is one of our major fundraising efforts. Groups of volunteers worked on their assigned tasks, seeking auction items from residents, members and merchants, decorating, setting up tables and chairs, establishing a program, choosing the people to lead the festivities, arranging music, and publicizing the event.

Life lessons come in many forms and varieties. To this day, I wonder if my mother, who was always thinking of ways to educate me and my siblings, purposely took us on these pachysandra trips to teach us a few things. Not so much the concept of poaching, but the idea of being a cohesive family and working together to accomplish a goal. I regret never asking my mother what her goals were, apart from prettying up our yard.

Speaking of prettying up an area, I wondered as I viewed the Crab Fest setup, whether the tables could use some pachysandra plants to add some greenery to the setting, but thought better of proposing the idea. One other thing I learned from growing up with my mother is to be careful about the ideas you propose to others. It is OK to let people know you are a little crazy, but you do not want them to think you are over-the-top bonkers.