'Perhaps speech is to human action what the sun is to the earth, the exterior principle of formal differentiation, the absolute condition of vital movement.' --Remy de Gourmont, The Horses of Diomedes

'Who hasn't built a house/ doesn't deserve the earth.// Who hasn't built a house/ shall not become earth/ --and straw--and ash--// I haven't built a house.' --Tsvetaeva

It would never occur to me to trim a bush or chop down a tree. But i wouldn't plant anything, either.