A Grower Perspective

This spring has been a whirlwind of activities both at work and at home. Yesterday I happened to take a quiet moment to walk out into my backyard and was delighted to discover that some of my trees were in full bloom. They were glorious. We planted them at various times over the 22 years we have lived in this house. At the time, they were small, seemingly insignificant trees. We planted them knowing that someday in the future they would grow tall and beautiful – providing colorful spring color and lush green canopies in our landscape. Yesterday, I realized that day had arrived. It made me realize, once again, how quickly time passes. I can clearly remember Dave and I planting each one and here we are more than two decades later enjoying their mature beauty.

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A month or so ago I went hiking to a beautiful waterfall not far from where we live. Besides the stunning waterfalls every plant, every rock, every piece of moss looked perfectly composed, creating a landscape nearly impossible to recreate. How is it that we work so hard in our gardens to create great beauty and out in the untouched world it is splendid without a finger being lifted? I notice that in my rural setting where I live, I am busy around my home toiling away to make a garden I find satisfying and then with a brief walk up the trail into the woods I find perfection, tranquility and rest in the natural landscape around me.

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Three weeks ago I fractured a couple of metatarsals in my foot. I like to move around on my own and this brought me to a screeching halt. We pruned most of our large apple trees on our farm before the breakage, but had yet to pick up the branches and haul them into the brush pile in the woods. That is usually my job. My husband piled them up in three piles on the lawn and I discovered they made a great spot for the birds to hang out in, between the lilac and the bird feeder by the window. I found this highly entertaining in my non active state. As I can not garden for a few weeks more, I’ve had to go on the premise that messy may not be so bad. Leaves fall from the trees and provide natural mulch for the tree. If you don’t like this look get some mulch, blended mint compost is my favorite, and sprinkle an inch or so over the leaves. This will give a neat appearance without loosing the layer of leafy organic material. Many plants like spiraea, forsythia, and philadelphus, get pruned into a blob by some gardeners, yet when left to their own devices will grow into a lovely fountain shaped plant. These same plants if overgrown can be cut to the ground and they will start up again. I often cut the ‘goldmound’ spiraea to the ground in July and it pops back up with its brilliant color and looks great all winter. You can also miss a year in your pruning and do no permanent damage. I did not get around to my favorite apple tree so I’ll let it go until August or next year. It’s okay because I love the color, deep maroon, of the upright shoots and they will be twice the size next year and good for projects. Patience is what one learns when one can’t do what is normally easy.

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Snow drift pieris is blooming now in our greenhouses. Josh just brought one down and set it on the desk and I thought everyone would want to see it. What a beauty! Pieris is just starting to bloom in gardens. Now is a chance to fill your garden with lovely pearls.

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