Refreshing Spring

Nicholas, it’s spring! the year’s true fresh start! renewal, resurrection, release–and lovely mud. And I so love playing in my yard, weeding and “breeding lilacs out of the dead land.” T.S. Eliot said it better than anyone, though the land is never dead really, just waiting to burst forth again.

A Leaf Garden?

In my woodland garden, the bursts are relatively unspectacular, because of the shade. Therefore each bloom is especially cherished and often hard-won against the appetites of rabbits, brazen deer, and voles. Sometimes I think of my patch as mainly  a leaf garden; the leaves are particularly nice in the woods now, such a tender green haze, barely there. Soon the shade will be deeper. I often plant “flowers” meant for much more sun than they’ll ever see, and just enjoy whatever meager turn-out there is.

Joyfully Low Expectations

While I’m always delighted by each new spot or speckle of color, gardening has turned out to be one of the few activities in my life where the outcome is really not so important. At least that’s the way it is for me now. Many years ago before I got meds for OCD, I gave gardening a try and found I was happier giving it up. Because I took every plant too seriously, suffered over them.

I needed them all to thrive. Not possible. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Anyone who wants to rule the world should try to rule the garden first.” Maybe the more horticulturally knowledgeable are able to exert some control, but not I.

More Refreshing Springs These Recent Years

Now I’m happier putting stuff in the ground–and celebrating whatever comes. I wish my granddaddy had lived long enough to see me so passionate about plants. Visiting him always meant taking the tour of his yard and being introduced to dozens of individual specimens; I would quickly run out of comments. I wish I could take one of those tours again.

Anyway, no problems to report just now. Wishing you an especially refreshing spring.

Love,

Peggy

Dwane

Well, I wrote this last night and learned this morning that Dwane Powell has died–political cartoonist, wildly talented artist, good  and beautiful man, part of my larger circle of colleagues and friends for more than forty years. Our community has kept an on-line vigil for him these recent days. May spring be some comfort to his wife Jan and their daughter.

 

 

 

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Tags: burst forth, Dwane Powell, exert some control, fresh start, horticulturally knowledgeable, individual specimens, leaf garden, lilacs out of the dead land, low expectations, meds for OCD, ocd, passionate about plants, release, renewal, resurrection, rule the world, shade, spring, T.S. Eliot, too seriously, voles