Report From PIA – July 7
I just chopped down the Tradescantia ‘Sweet Kate’ because it was entering that not-so-many-flowers-ratty-foliage stage. I had some tiny ‘Purple Lady’ Iresine, grown from seed, that have been patiently waiting in their plug trays, so I planted those in the empty spaces. It is time for some mid-summer renewal.
I’d like to see this in my life as well: to have the ability, even in the time of flowering, to reinvent and restore. To cut out some things that are less than perfect and to plant others, even though it may seem late to do so.
This is not always easy I’m the first to say. It’s tempting to focus on the garden as a whole, and I’m speaking both literally and metaphorically here, and be content not to fine-tune if, overall, things are growing well. In the garden and in life, however, I think I’d rather push the limits…to see what else can be cultivated.
I have two ebooks that are partially finished…time to make a bigger push with those. I’ve been sitting on some speaking footage thinking, “I really need to get clips of these up on YouTube,” so perhaps it’s time to admit that I don’t have time to edit these myself and hire someone to do so.
You may not be a writer or a speaker with unfinished projects, but I am willing to bet that every reader of this blog, and believe me I cherish you all, has something, or several things, on their to-do or to-try list. (If you don’t, email me and I’ll send you some of mine.)
There are times to sit back and enjoy what we’ve planted, but just as we can start over in small sections of the garden, even in the height of the growing season, it’s always possible to cultivate something new at work, in our homes, with family or friends, or just for ourselves.
It’s early July: time to ask ourselves, What do I want to renew?
Here's the lakeside bed, and 'Sweet Kate' to right of 'Georgia Peach' Heuchera. This is how it looked in mid-June.
Now the 'Sweet Kate' is cut down, and there are tiny new 'Purple Lady' Iresine around them. I figure that by the time the 'Sweet Kate' sprouts and grows again, the 'Purple Lady' will be moving across this area and we'll see just who is sweet and who is a lady.
