It’s that time of year again when all things thought of are
of a garden variety. It’s as if all of a sudden, unexpectedly, Spring and
Summer arrive together in full radiance. Our calendars tell us what time of
year it is, but the abrupt, gradual and deliberate pokings of plants as they
emerge from their sleep is a new phenomenon year after year. And even though
the anticipation of “garden time” is a dream during winter, the without warning
– all at once euphoria of working the soil becomes intoxicating.
I first picked up a garden hoe, as is often the case, by
accident. When we bought our first home, Eddie and I were fortunate enough to
have a small plot of dirt and we squeezed in as many plants as the earth could
take. We had grand ideas and many a night you could find Eddie in his Dutch wooden
shoes, weeding and watering; me, tying, pinching and picking. We got a fair
share of beans and tomatoes which we ate, shared and canned; the next season, I
may have gone a bit crazy when the annual Burpee seed catalog came out. But
over time, I got to recognize the plants, flowers and shrubs of many varieties.
And being this was pre-YouTube era, I got my instruction from flower and garden
horticulture books (which I cannot bring myself to throw away even though I
seldom look in them anymore…but that subject is for another day). And now? I
have lots of pots…small ones, large ones, odd shaped ones, plastic, ceramic,
clay and wood pots; window boxes, iron hangers and even cactus living in wooden
shoes. I fill the pots with geraniums, marigolds, begonias, clematis, hibiscus,
succulents and herbs of all kinds. This is why I love garden weather. Because
the deck, the yard, the garden…they all become an outdoor oasis escape full of intense
color (Pink! Red! Orange!) and beauty.
One caveat of gardening is that things don’t always thrive
or turn out the way you want them to. Often it is an experiment of sorts.
Sometimes it means trying and failing (or learning as I prefer to think),
making mistakes and working through it. This is not a lack of success, vain
attempts or setbacks and defeat! No! This is the glory of gardening! Processes
that eventually prove effective. A plant doesn’t work here? Strengthen it by
moving it there. That flower doesn’t bloom in a corner? Move it to a sunnier,
flourishing spot. Anyone can do it and everyone can have their own ideas as to
how it should be done. You are the artist and the garden is your canvas. Know
your greenery and the garden universe is yours!
When I see the butterflies, American Goldfinches, and hummingbirds quietly resting on the porches and hear the Northern Cardinals call out one to another, I inhale deeply the pleasant flower scents; some tall, some small, some open, some tightly closed. A little garden corner world can be anyone’s Happy Place. And as for me?
I’m still enjoying some Garden Carpe Diem.
