Report From PIA – September 5
Paths are of prime importance in a garden. They are functional, yes, a way to get from one part of the property to the other, and a means of carrying new plants in and weeds out. Paths are important in the design of a garden as well: a path provides some open space that contracts with, and shows off, other areas that are filled with plants. The look of a large flowerbed can be instantly improved by putting a path, and perhaps a destination such as a bench or birdbath, into the garden.
We use the term “path” to describe our life’s journeys as well. Talk of taking the right path, the path less chosen, or a spiritual path fills poems, stories and articles.
In the garden we try to design paths that make sense both functionally and visually. In life, many have the same intentions, but are often unaware that they’re on a particular path until well into the journey, or think that they’re taking one route and find out they are going somewhere else entirely. Sometimes people are clueless about where they’ll end up.
What’s important, I think, is to start out in the first place.
It’s day five of my vow to post a Report From PIA every day, and I have no idea if this is a good route to follow or not. Does anyone really want to read thoughtful posts that link the garden with the rest of life? Doug Green thinks that “car wreck” blogs are popular, even in the gardening world…. people fuming about plants, practices or products. I wonder if readers just want blogs to explain how to prune their hydrangeas.
I’ve decided, however, to leave the practical information to my website. So far, only a few days into my decision to post everyday, I’ve found that committing to “four season of conscious cultivation” stimulates reflection and action. Not bad qualities to be germinating, I’d say.
Garden blogs, and lives, are pretty much like gardens: there are many ways to make one, and many paths to create.
This path through the test garden/cutting garden needed to be wide so that we can roll the garden cart through this area.
