There is a touch of irony when I think of gardens. I grew up on a farm where the ‘garden’ was a food producing entity. In our corner of the world, Summer was hot and dry so growing flowers was deemed to be way too much effort and used precious resources that could go to food.
Fast forward a few years and I found myself living in apartments where growing things, what few I had managed to keep alive, were in pots. Flowers, as such, appeared on upholstery and bed linens.
Zip forward a few more years and I had moved to my own small place where the idea of a ‘garden’ was still pretty much in pots on the deck, or scattered throughout the interior of my home which, incidentally, was decorated with growing things on upholstery, etc
My reality, when it comes to gardens as such, is that I am not really what ‘I’ would consider a gardener. I tinker. I experiment. I cross my fingers and offer prayers for the little greenery that deems brave enough to attempt to exist in my small plot.
Some might say that makes me a gardener. <shrug>
I have a friend who is an Actual Gardener. It is never unusual to find her in her garden doing all the chores associate with gardens, or contemplating the state of her garden, or plotting the next phase of her garden. And her garden is always beautiful.
Gardens are magical places of hope and dreams. Those who embark on the care and maintenance of gardens bring these things with them just as they bring the tools of the trade. It doesn’t matter what level of expertise these folks have, either. The idea of gardens is enough to entice them to get their hands dirty, to attempt to coax life from a spot that might not seem to be able to sustain it.
Sometimes we succeed, other times…not so much. I could tell you my particular sob story about raising deck tomatoes but why bother?
Mr. Carrington encouraged me to return to my deck garden and see what I could make of it. By sharing his adventures on his roof garden, he reminded me that sometimes it is simply the joy of accidental success that makes all the work worth it
Last year I acquired a small selection of indoor plants that were cat friendly and were touted to be able to survive in a not so sunny space. Half of them bit the dust while the remainder seem to be … dare I say it … managing happily in areas of my home that I could have sworn would not sustain plants.
Miracles!
Years ago I was a faithful viewer to PBS’ Victory Garden. I learned a lot about a lot of things…mostly that I wasn’t cut out for actual gardening. No matter, I enjoy watching the process and seeing the results. I still enjoy watching gardening shows. Monty Dons hosts a lovely garden series carried on BritBox that I found not only beautiful but useful.
I happened across The Curious Gardeners on BBC Home on PlutoTV recently. There are similar shows on YouTube.
Gardens are magical spaces no matter what your skill level or amount of space. If you are interested, there are options. Encouraging a small plant can be quite rewarding even if the only goal is to keep it alive, not cultivate it for food production.
I find myself contemplating adding a few things to pots in my house again this Spring. Who knows? I might have better success this year.
Miracles and magic seasoned with a lot of hope and prayers.
