Older gardens have a marvelous sense of stability and a unique character. They're restful to wander around in or sit inside. Not that they're static, no garden ever stays exactly the same. But they have a depth of spirit, you might say, a quality that's almost indescribable. 

 

The gardeners and the gardens seem to have reached a balance that means, usually, less work. The more plants there are to fill the space, the fewer the weeds and, often, the less water it needs. The plants that do well have been allowed to spread, the ones that didn't work out are gone. The shrubs and trees are full grown. Stability amid change, that's what a mature garden says.

​

​

Nurturing stability

 

A stable piece of land has a good plant cover, often three or four layers from ground covers to tall perennials or shrubs.  No bare soil, no expanses of mulch, means less maintenance. This ideal may take a few years and many plants to achieve, but it's a worthwhile goal.

​

​

Nurturing meaning

 

Meaning is always personal, something to give to an object in the outer world, a way of melding inner and outer reality. You can always add something with meaning to a garden, a statue, a rose planted to honor a friend, a special rock from your favorite place. 

​

The more meaning infused into your garden, the more the garden as a whole with feel uniquely yours, and the more energy you'll have for working with it.  In a way, gardens are like sandboxes for grownups. We play around, change the furniture or the decorations and when we get bored we find something else to do. 

 

 

Nurturing possibilities

​

Brainstorming is a good winter activity, or even something to occupy yourself in the midsummer heat when you're not going to actually change anything. Seed catalogs arrive, you. have time to look at gardening sites online or the beautiful books of photos that tempt us into bookstores.

​

And brainstorming is, by definition, separate from decision-making. Ideas, lots of ideas, are the purpose here. Write them down, collect photos, let your imagination roam.  Practicality comes later.

Older gardens have a marvelous sense of stability and a unique character. They're restful to wander around in or sit inside. Not that they're static, no garden ever stays exactly the same. But they have a depth of spirit, you might say, a quality that's almost indescribable. 

 

The gardeners and the gardens seem to have reached a balance that means, usually, less work. The more plants there are to fill the space, the fewer the weeds and, often, the less water it needs. The plants that do well have been allowed to spread, the ones that didn't work out are gone. The shrubs and trees are full grown. Stability amid change, that's what a mature garden says.

​

​

Nurturing stability

 

A stable piece of land has a good plant cover, often three or four layers from ground covers to tall perennials or shrubs.  No bare soil, no expanses of mulch, means less maintenance. This ideal may take a few years and many plants to achieve, but it's a worthwhile goal.

​

​

Nurturing meaning

 

Meaning is always personal, something to give to an object in the outer world, a way of melding inner and outer reality. You can always add something with meaning to a garden, a statue, a rose planted to honor a friend, a special rock from your favorite place. 

​

The more meaning infused into your garden, the more the garden as a whole with feel uniquely yours, and the more energy you'll have for working with it.  In a way, gardens are like sandboxes for grownups. We play around, change the furniture or the decorations and when we get bored we find something else to do. 

 

 

Nurturing possibilities

​

Brainstorming is a good winter activity, or even something to occupy yourself in the midsummer heat when you're not going to actually change anything. Seed catalogs arrive, you. have time to look at gardening sites online or the beautiful books of photos that tempt us into bookstores.

​

And brainstorming is, by definition, separate from decision-making. Ideas, lots of ideas, are the purpose here. Write them down, collect photos, let your imagination roam.  Practicality comes later.

Gardening with Skill and Delight

Planting Joy

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    The "garden recovery" plan
    • Jun 15
    • 1 min

    The "garden recovery" plan

    There will be times when the garden's the last thing you're thinking about. You're sick, or you have a major deadline or you're on...
    Straw - an excellent mulch
    • Jun 23, 2021
    • 1 min

    Straw - an excellent mulch

    Why? Here's a list of reasons, though I admit it's not what I'd choose for a high visibility, impress-the-neighbors garden. Still, it's...
    • May 12, 2021
    • 1 min

    Best slug & snail control

    I've been using several products containing iron phosphate over the past five years and I'm sold on this chemical. Not harmful to any...
    For fall color, add annuals
    • May 5, 2021
    • 1 min

    For fall color, add annuals

    I tend to plant perennials, those that come up year after year, because they're the backbone of a "lazy garden," needing little work once...
    My favorite gardening tool
    • Mar 31, 2021
    • 1 min

    My favorite gardening tool

    It's a serrated kitchen knife, costs just a couple dollars from the thrift store. And I have six or seven of them, stashed in various...
    • Mar 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    "Why we procrastinate on tiny tasks"

    Here's a BBC article especially relevant for gardeners. Why? Because there are so many tiny tasks and because the tendency (at least...
    Overwhelmed, again
    • Mar 15, 2021
    • 1 min

    Overwhelmed, again

    It's March and I can see the end of the line for setting up the garden, mid May usually. And setting that next to my thoughts of what I...
    • Feb 19, 2021
    • 2 min

    Root care 101

    If plants were human, we might say they're schizophrenic. Part is always searching for light while another part is busily running away...
    • Feb 17, 2021
    • 1 min

    Deepening the roots

    For a baby plant, constant moisture is helpful. For one that's on its way to maturity, occasional spells of dryness, but not too much,...
    Catching warmth from the soil
    • Feb 13, 2021
    • 1 min

    Catching warmth from the soil

    We've had air temperatures in the mid-20's this week, enough to kill the new leaves of the "Naked Ladies" (Amaryllis belladonna) that are...
    Plants don't read books!
    • Jan 25, 2021
    • 2 min

    Plants don't read books!

    And, occasionally, they don't follow the "rules" laid down by gardening experts. For instance, I had a a Greater Meadowrue (Thalictrum...
    The lost art of "puttering"
    • Jan 23, 2021
    • 1 min

    The lost art of "puttering"

    Useful as it is to know what you "should" do, sometimes it's better to let go of the mental list you're carrying around. "Puttering," by...
    Quackgrass, the infuriating...
    • Jan 18, 2021
    • 2 min

    Quackgrass, the infuriating...

    ...... but useful weed - Think of a sand dune or a bare, scraped clean wound in the earth. Quackgrass is like a scab growing over the...
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    An essential gardening tool - your body

    Take time to care for it! Muscles, especially, need extra attention to keep working properly. Tense muscles are more prone to injury...
    Plant-buying skills
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Plant-buying skills

    First, whenever possible buy from a great local nursery. Why? They take good care of their plants, you'll get the best selection of...
    Grieving and gardens
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Grieving and gardens

    A garden, especially one you've created yourself, can be a safe place to grieve major or minor losses. And don't minimize the need for a...
    The best time to water
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    The best time to water

    It's misty this morning, the kind of mid-May "rain" that darkens the ground and makes the air smell flowery and forest-y. And does...
    The problem with pots...
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    The problem with pots...

    ....is that the soil dries out more quickly than an expanse of ground. Big pots, of course, dry out more slowly than little ones, but...
    Water early, dry out late
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Water early, dry out late

    This applies to daily watering, but I'm thinking of times during the year. We had a wet spring and I'm noticing perennials and shrubs...
    A sneaky problem - hydrophobic soil
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 2 min

    A sneaky problem - hydrophobic soil

    No, nothing to do with rabies. The "fear of water" I'm talking about is a common property of very dry soil, a condition which causes the...
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