“You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.” ~Author Unknown

“I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border.  I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error.”  ~Sara Stein, My Weeds, 1988

To that quote I add, and Nature generally wins. But it’s April and the world is newborn. I’m in my zealous mode, clearing away the old growth and wintering over weeds from around perennial herbs, flowers, and vegetables, like asparagus and rhubarb, and seeking out the newly emerging seedlings to determine whether they’re friend or foe. Or something in between. If foe, then they must be gotten out before they smother the surrounding plants. But it isn’t that simple. Many of the plants are wanted, within reason.

Take larkspur for example, a beautiful flower, but will take over unless kept at bay and that’s the way with many of my cottage garden favorites. Sunflowers are wonderful, but if not curtailed will overrun the garden. A knowing eye and hand must make order out of would be chaos–an ongoing challenge. One mostly undertaken by me, with some much needed help from daughter Elise. This year I’m also starting many seedlings in the small greenhouse husband Dennis built me years ago. It had fallen apart but he recently restored it; I’m very glad to have the use of this happy space again.  So far the gardens look hopeful and are bursting with promise. I pray the weather will be reasonable this year. And that we dodge the frost tonight.

Despite all the challenges, creating a garden is inestimably worthwhile and blesses everyone it touches.  Go and plant something. And if you must wait until the snow melts, you have my sympathies. Spring is late but has arrived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

“Gardens are a form of autobiography.” ~Sydney Eddison, Horticulture magazine, August/September 1993

“One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.”  ~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

“Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there.”  ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

“In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.”  ~Abram L. Urban

“I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day.”  ~F. Frankfort Moore, A Garden of Peace

*Images of my garden(s) by my mom and daughter Elise

A Gardener is An Eternal Optimist

'Gardening is not a rational act.' ~Margaret Atwood

Given our most trying weather of late, I agree with that sentiment, but will never give up. I just reassess. The picture of me on the right of this blog was taken beneath our lovely apricot tree that fell during last week’s fierce windstorm. Many trees and plants went down in that blast. Next spring a new apricot will go into the ground.

It is ever my wish to have a garden like Mr. McGregor‘s, but I must remember that his was in England and did not undergo the brutal trials that have beset  mine. Weather in the Shenandoah Valley swings between the extremes of north and south in the most erratic manner, and is very hard on plants.  Try as I might, only the strong survive.  And sometimes, not even them.

Most of you know me as a writer, and so I am, but I’m a gardener first. My thoughts ever turn to how the plants fare and I grieve when they suffer. Every spring I truly believe this year I will triumph, this year I will not be undone by the vagaries of nature, and each year I have my moments of glory and disappointment. But there’s always next season. And I still hold out hope for a splendid fall. For now, I’m salvaging what  I can.

‘A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy.’  ~Luis Barragan

‘A good garden may have some weeds.’ ~Thomas Fuller

‘A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.’ ~D. Elton Trueblood

’A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.’ ~Doug Larson

‘All gardening is landscape painting.’ ~William Kent

‘But if each man could have his own house, a large garden to cultivate and healthy surroundings – then, I thought, there will be for them a better opportunity of a happy family life.’ ~George Cadbury

‘Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.’ ~Luther Burbank

‘Garden as though you will live forever.’ ~William Kent

‘God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.’~Francis Bacon

***Pre-storm photographs taken by my daughter Elise