Garden Reports and Rejoicing – November 13
As you all know from a recent open letter I wrote, I think that everyone in the garden biz made a serious error a few years back. Myself included.
We thought that the way to attract people to plants and gardening was to tell them how easy it was. Books were written about low-maintenance gardening, container garden recipes were promoted, and garden centers stressed how easy, easy, easy it all is. All of it was a lie.
Even the most reliable, low-work plantings take effort.
It’s time that everyone in this country started telling the truth. There is no easy button. Even fast food has a price, not in dollars but in our health. Most things in life that are worthwhile take determination and energy to move toward completion.
I think that we made the concept of laboring to move forward into something abhorrent so that products can be sold. It’s too high a price. Work should be something that we value, not a concept to be avoided.
My husband and I dug dahlia tubers today, and cleared one of the vegetable gardens. It was hard work, and it was wonderful.
This spring scene lifted my heart every time I came in and out of my house. Yes, it took work to plant it, and yes, it takes continual effort to maintain it. Life itself takes work...so why not put that effort into the creation of beauty?
