By LYN DESMARAIS
BRANDON—I intend to ignore the storms, winds, rains, and flooding that have inundated us this past week. Let other voices dwell on them. For me, it is eternal summer. The sun is shining, the sky deep blue, a refreshing wind is blowing, and I’m sipping something delightfully cold and eating chocolate while sitting in my garden. There are no weeds in this world, no storms blowing things over, no droughts, no ticks, no stinging nettle, no poison parsnip, no bindweed, no biting insects, no rabbits or deer, no aches, no pains, no sunburn, just a gloriously full, colorful garden, with delightful birds, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds that dart about. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries abound. The trees are laden with cherries, apples, peaches, and pears. It’s an edible and visual feast.
In this weed-free, pest-free paradise, it is always midsummer. The sun, never too hot, always shines. Insects are the musicians, and the wind is always gentle. Red poppies dance with Shasta daisies. Red Hot Pokers stand watch. Lacy lavender bends and waves with the breeze. Bumblebees buzz gently as they pop in and out of the hostas. Pink peony poppies (papaver paeoniflorum) bow their heads as you pass, in homage to the great gardener you are. You feel surrounded by warmth, appreciation, beauty, and peace. This is definitely the world of gardening that I signed onto. Then you wake up, and you realize you have no fruit trees or strawberries, and your raspberries have more stinging nettles in them than berries, because you forgot to prune them! Well, it’s been a most delightful dream.
I have yet to meet a gardener who has actually sat, never mind slept, on any of their lovely benches, chairs, or chaises longues, that they have so carefully and tastefully placed in their gardens. “Have you ever sat in any of your chairs,” I always ask. I always get the same sheepish answer: “I’m planning on it,” or “It looks inviting, doesn’t it?” I’m waiting for someone to tell me decisively and unapologetically, “Yes, I sit on them for hours, every day, and I just stare at my beautiful plants” or “I take naps in my garden.”
“How could I sit?” one gardener asked me. I was about to explain how easy it is to sit, “just bend the knees!” Given the beauty of the day and the perfection of the hour, that perfect dozing time between lunch and dinner, one might sit down quite happily in her oh so comfortable looking chair with its plump cushions. I was about to give her a demonstration, when she startled me by asking, “Could you sit when you could be deadheading, pruning, harvesting, or weeding? It’s just impossible to sit, don’t you think, I mean if you want a beautiful garden?” She definitely ruined the moment.
“So why do we have garden furniture in our gardens at all?” I ask. “Well, it looks really nice. Someday when my garden is perfect, I’m going to invite people over. They can sit.” I too am waiting for my garden to be perfect. Give me a few more years? A friend recently said, when I felt overwhelmed by all my weeding, “You could have no gardens at all and just go look at and sit in other peoples’ gardens.” Now that’s a revolutionary idea.
My husband is astounded that I move plants around so much. “Why?” he asks. “That’s not the right question,” I answer. The right question is why didn’t I have a plan? Why didn’t I know that some plants hate each other and will fight each other until you move them? The colors clash! One’s too tall, another too wide, one crowds the other out, one’s a bully, one’s delicate. His solution: just own one plant and move it as often as you want.
In addition to a garden plan, there’s this thing called garden structure. Gardens thrive with it and gardeners aren’t constantly moving plants. You’ll definitely recognize structure when you see it. It’s formed of pathways and arches, trees and shrubs, climbers and spreaders, pergolas and huge pots. It’s the difference between a finished look and a large collection of pretty plants scattered randomly about. Gardens with structures and plans are like a great storyline that hooks you and draws you in. a serene beauty that flows and draws you along on a journey.
SAVE THE DATE: Some of the prettiest gardens I have seen in and around Brandon will be open to the public for a garden tour. August 6, 2023.
Tip#1: (Judy Reilly’s): Weed after a good rain, weeds come out easier.
Tip #2: If you can’t weed your whole garden, weed along the pathways, 6-8 inches deep. It gives the appearance that the entire garden is done.
