6/16/2023: When life gives you destruction…

by Kyle Kandilian · June 16, 2023

Wrapping up the gardening mini-series we have an entry on perspective.

Nazig has been quite the teething hellion and is far more outgoing and confident than Viktor was at her age. In her blind chewy fury she has nicked several of my favorite patio plants including some woody ones. We all have cherished possessions in life and unjust destruction of these sacred objects can bring about our deepest ire, but as I get older I recognize the immense value in looking at things differently.

Among the victims is my Chicago hardy fig, which is situated in the sunniest spot on the patio right where the dogs love to flop and frollick. Nazig has shredded several lower leaves and clipped off a few branches. Adding to this, while moving the fig around to better position it away from the little patio shark, I have also snapped a branch or two off adding to the frustration.

However, I took these as opportunities to grow my fig numbers via fresh cuttings. With a new property on the horizon I will be better able to protect and partition space and resources to all of my living things, so it’s actually better for me to work on establishing multiple potted figs for eventual transplant to a designated fig grove when space allows.

I will give Nazig her credit in mobilizing this process and viewpoint shift, though I do wish she’d ease up on tormenting the fig’s leaves.

Water rooting has always been an easy and effective means of propagation in my experience, and at least in this case the figs agree as evidenced by the abundant swelling root nodes.

-Kyle