My irrational garden

Gardening is not a rational act.

Margaret Atwood

Even in these unprecedented times, some things stay the same. For me, one of those things is the joy I find in my garden. When I was a child, I watched my father spend hours almost every summer day in his largely weed-free vegetable garden. He grew a few flowers too, mainly annuals in straight rows. He worked hard in the garden and when he let me help I considered it an honor. He was proud of the cucumbers, radishes, and maybe most of all the tomatoes that he brought into our kitchen just in time for salads and mayonnaise-heavy sandwiches on soft white bread.

Over the years, my garden has evolved, adapting to sun when our former neighbor removed a big tree and now shade again as the replacements he planted have matured. Years ago we invested in good bones for the garden: bricks to enclose the slightly-raised beds, gravel to separate them, and a stone path to lead into and through it. Within that structure, I impose few rules, and they are ever-changing.

This year, quarantine kept me from my usual springtime greenhouse tour, so I’ve relied largely on plants that self-seeded from last year , were moved from other areas, or miraculously re-appeared after long absences.

More and more, the garden is for the birds, the butterflies, and the bees. Here are my favorites from early July:

self-seeded dill in front of re-located true geranium
A few years ago I planted cleome, and this year it’s back!
I bought butterfly milkweed for the monarchs, but I would keep it just because it’s pretty.
monarchs have begun to visit the swamp milkweed

Gardening is a humbling experience. 

Martha Stewart

3 thoughts on “My irrational garden”

  1. The cakes and rhubarb have graced the table. Some of the cherry tomatoes are just starting to change color. I can hardly wait.

  2. The cukes and rhubarb have graced the table. Some of the cherry tomatoes are just starting to change color. I can hardly wait.

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