Why I Garden

Looking back over my blog entries, I see that critters have dominated. Critters are part of being in the garden—but plants are primary, and it’s time to shift the focus.

Plants began to beckon Marlo and me as the Van Klompenburg nest emptied. “It’s nice to have something around that’s growing, instead of just growing old,” my husband Marlo quipped. I agreed.

We’re both amateurs—and intend retain that status. It wouldn’t be quite as much fun if we knew the outcome instead of taking a leap the leap of gardening faith that begins with the phrase, “I wonder what would happen if I . . .” We have divided our gardening in what I’ve been told is a traditional Dutch division: he does the vegetables and I do flowers. We both think we have the better half.

At first the territorial boundaries were blurred. After mowing, for example, he graciously weeded a driveway bed—and pulled up 24 newly planted mums.

When he planted blueberries, I announced, “You can’t raise blueberries in Iowa!” For three summers, when our friends inquired about the blueberry crop, I smiled as I said, “Nothing.”

He retorted, “When we get the first cup of blueberries, you’ll have to eat crow.”

On year four he harvested a quart of blueberries, and we served our friends blueberry muffins. I ate crow—a crow of black frosting perched on a cake I had created for the occasion.

We’ve decided good fences not only make good neighbors, but good spouses. We keep the vegetable-flower fence in place, and when we glance over it we zip our lips, except to say occasionally, “That’s beautiful” and “This tastes really good.”

According to one maxim, life began in a garden. I like that, because I am convinced God made the first garden. In my garden I get tastes of Eden; life begins there again for me. I have fresh eyes for the world without, the world within. Some say a garden shows God’s desire for the world to go on. Amid the day lilies and roses, I sense him smiling and I feel the warmth of his love. I am renewed—sometimes even when I’m pulling weeds.

In my next several posts, I think I’ll write about why I garden.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on the subject, you can post a response, or you can email me at gardensetc@gmail.com

Have a good day—and spend some time in your garden!