--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This soil is bad for certain kinds of…" description: "\"“This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear, and when the land kills of its own v..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/toni-morrison-271_gardening_this-soil-is-bad-for-certain-kinds-of-fl_1374222.jpg" --- # This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain… ![“This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear, and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live. We are wrong, of course, but it doesn't matter. It's too late. At least on the edge…” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/toni-morrison-271_gardening_this-soil-is-bad-for-certain-kinds-of-fl_1374222.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/toni-morrison-271_gardening_this-soil-is-bad-for-certain-kinds-of-fl_1374222.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5e/toni-morrison-271_gardening_this-soil-is-bad-for-certain-kinds-of-fl_1374222.jpg) > ““This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear, and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live. We are wrong, of course, but it doesn't matter. It's too late. At least on the edge of my town, among the garbage and the sunflowers of my town, it's much, much, much too late.”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human suffering often stems from systemic neglect, yet individuals may rationalize it, ignoring moral responsibility. **In simple terms:** Neglect leads to suffering and denial. Key Takeaway Recognize and act against systemic harm. Themes justice humanity responsibility Mood somber urgent Type literary social commentary When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - education - personal reflection Key Concepts ethics social critique Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront injustice in daily life? - What role does empathy play in societal change? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted systems is complex and slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Garbage Sunflowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garbage-sunflowers-4740668/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Harsh truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harsh-truth/) [Land Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-kills-3077762/) [Say Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-victim-1186057/) [Soil Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil-bad-3077761/) [The-bluest-eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-bluest-eye-185747/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Town Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/town-late-4740670/) ## Related quotes > [“And now when I see her searching the garbage—for what? The thing we assassinated? I talk about how I did not plant the seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/and-now-when-i-see-her-searching-the-garbage-for-what-the-thing-we/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“...and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live. We are wrong, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/and-when-the-land-kills-of-its-own-volition-we-acquiesce-and-say-the/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/certain-seeds-it-will-not-nurture-certain-fruit-it-will-not-bear-and/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“They come from Mobile. Aiken. From Newport News. From Marietta. From Meridian. And the sounds of these places in their mouths make you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/they-come-from-mobile-aiken-from-newport-news-from-marietta-from/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“When I first seed Cholly, I want you to know it was like all the bits of color from that time down home when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/when-i-first-seed-cholly-i-want-you-to-know-it-was-like-all-the-bits/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“And the lives of these old black women were synthesized in their eyes- a puree of tragedy and humor, wickedness and serenity, truth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/and-the-lives-of-these-old-black-women-were-synthesized-in-their-eyes/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Love is never any better than the lover. 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She be lucky if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/well-it-probably-won-t-live-they-say-the-way-her-mama-beat-her-she/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“I still have to buy tonight’s special--unless you’re about to tell me that’s already been handled, too.” “Not that I’m aware of,” he replied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-kauffman/i-still-have-to-buy-tonight-s-special-unless-you-re-about-to-tell-me/) [Donna Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-kauffman/) > [I don't tolerate whining, I look at people & say 'you're a victim, it's not your fault' figure our how to survive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-sloan/i-don-t-tolerate-whining-i-look-at-people-say-you-re-a-victim-it-s/) [Allan Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-sloan/) > [Don't say that you are a victim if you let somebody manipulate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelique-kidjo/don-t-say-that-you-are-a-victim-if-you-let-somebody-manipulate-you/) [Angelique Kidjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelique-kidjo/) > [I'm not a victim, I never say I'm a victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-strickland/i-m-not-a-victim-i-never-say-i-m-a-victim/) [Sean Strickland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-strickland/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. 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We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Gardening quotes > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-o-connell/my-days-the-blossom-of-my-youth-and-the-flower-of-my-manhood-have/) [Daniel O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-o-connell/) > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“A flower needs the rain to grow just as much as it needs the sunshine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/a-flower-needs-the-rain-to-grow-just-as-much-as-it-needs-the-sunshine/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [“Mr. Grote shows me how he grows wild rice in the stream and collects the seeds. The rice is nutty and brown. He plants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/mr-grote-shows-me-how-he-grows-wild-rice-in-the-stream-and-collects/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [I must hurry back to my house and my flowers in Monaco.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillie-langtry/i-must-hurry-back-to-my-house-and-my-flowers-in-monaco/) [Lillie Langtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillie-langtry/) > [“Look for light Listen for inspiration on the wind Let water cleanse your soul Set yourself on a firm foundation Serve as the plants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anasazi-foundation/look-for-light-listen-for-inspiration-on-the-wind-let-water-cleanse/) [Anasazi Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anasazi-foundation/) [Browse all 5,790 Gardening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear, and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live. We are wrong, of course, but it doesn't matter. It's too late. 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