Who’s Really in Control: Us or the Plants?

Take a moment to think about how much time, energy, and money we invest in our lawns, gardens, and flowers. We mow, weed, water, fertilize—sometimes obsessively. We might say we’re in charge: We decide which seeds to plant. We prune, cut, and arrange flowers however we like. But let’s consider another angle: Are we really the ones getting used?

Flowers & Bees: A Mutual Dance

We tend to gush over flowers because they look and smell wonderful. Bees, on the other hand, don’t care about human aesthetics. They’re after nectar—food to fuel their colonies. But flowers are no innocent bystanders; they evolved to attract pollinators like bees, using bright petals and sweet scents to lure them in. In exchange for nectar, the bees carry pollen from flower to flower, ensuring reproduction.

So, who’s the boss? The bee, driven by hunger? The flower, using color and fragrance as manipulative signals? Or is it both, locked in a co-evolutionary embrace where each gets exactly what it needs?

Lawns: Sprawling Green (Or Mastermind?)

Now consider your lawn. If you’re in a typical suburban area, that lush green carpet requires watering, fertilizer, weed killer, and constant mowing. We do all this to keep grass healthy and looking “perfect.” But from another perspective, the grass convinced us to expand it across entire neighborhoods. We’re basically spreading it, protecting it, and ensuring it outcompetes other species. All for our aesthetic preference—or is it the grass’s silent scheme?

Corn, Wheat, and the Crop Conundrum

Then there’s corn, wheat, or rice—staple crops that feed billions. We might think, We domesticated these plants. But look how globally pervasive they’ve become. By partnering with humans, these grains have spread across vast swathes of the planet, far beyond their native ranges. We’ve become the pollinators, cultivators, protectors—making sure they flourish, season after season.

Who’s the Slave, Really?

It’s easy to say “We have free will; we choose to garden or farm”. But at the end of the day, these plants (and their pollinators) benefit enormously from our labor. Are we just doing it for our own sake—beauty, food, pleasure? Or is there a deeper, co-evolutionary push at work, shaping our habits and desires in favor of certain species?

Ultimately, it’s a give-and-take relationship:

• Flowers entice bees with nectar, but also “trick” humans into caring for them and showcasing them everywhere.
• Lawns tap into our cultural obsession with neat green spaces, ensuring they outgrow other plants.
• Crops provide us with vital sustenance while they spread across continents, thanks to our willingness to cultivate them.

It’s enough to make you wonder: Are we shaping nature, or is nature shaping us? Maybe it’s both. One thing’s for sure—the lines between master and servant get pretty blurry when you zoom out to the big evolutionary picture.