Tulipomania

Among biology majors, there arises two types of people; plant people and animal people. There are those who really hate plants and abhor taking the required plant requirements; and then there are those weirdos that are obsessed with plants and end up dedicating their lives to them.
Although I would like to claim being both, I could very well be the latter.
In the summer time, when I was a kid, as a form of punishment, my mother would make me weed the garden. I guess, since she was the daughter of a farmer, being made to go work in a garden WAS punishment. I laugh every time I think of this, b/c I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
At least once a day, I fantasize about when I no longer live in the city and have a garden of my own. I think about how I'm going to ward off beetles, and how I'll encourage pollinators. I wonder about all the delicious vegetables I'm going to plant and how I'll use them to feed my family and neighbors. I daydream about the lovely flowers (spring tulips in particular) that will serve as decor and also encourage certain vegetable growth. Pretty soon, I'm thinking, well, if I'm going to have a garden I might as well have some chickens too. (I don't know where this connection comes from...) and with chickens must also come at least one cow to milk. I should probably also have some goats, so I can have different kinds of milk and cheese, since my palate needs variety. I'm definitely going to need a boat, b/c I'm going to live next to water so I can fish. Then I think... this is really going to teach my kids discipline, and how to be self sufficient...
I know, I live a rich fantasy life. I want to be a dentist/botanist/gardener/milk-maid/fishing mom who speaks 3-4 languages.



These are two books that I'm reading for a class that I love... I recommend them for those of you who are interested in how plants shape our world economically and otherwise.