Why you should plant palm trees, and flowers

I live in Phoenix, and one of the reasons I consider it paradise is tropical plants, including palm trees. I have a small property, and so only have miniature palm trees, but I enjoy going to places where there are full-sized palms, like the Sahuaro Ranch, which is in the photo at the top of this post.

But let's face it, palm trees, like flowers, require water. They require maintenance, which takes money. And their only value, really, is beauty. I've had people argue that I should be planting things that I can eat, or some other perfectly-reasonable functional thing. And so my argument about beauty sounds a little hollow to these practically-minded people. Why would someone invest time and money in something that was of no practical value? I think I can explain.

Visit a garden, look at some roses, walk under some swaying palm trees. There's a feeling there that I just can't put into words, although I'm trying to here. Once you have that feeling, you'll know. If the beauty of these plants don't speak to you, there's nothing I can say.

Palm trees and flowers speak to me. They enrich my life far beyond the expense and effort that I put into them. I've felt this way all of my life, and I hope to always be surrounded by these plants. My garden is a place of beauty, and that's more than enough for me.