Gardening and the world

We are attempting to cross chores off of our “to-do list” in preparation for a large family gathering over the next two weeks.  With all of the craziness of the past month or so, we are very behind schedule. My husband works every other weekend, and doesn’t get home from work until 7:30 to 8:00 pm during the week. This was his weekend off, so we spent most of the weekend crazily trying to get things done.

My garden has been woefully neglected all summer.  It is a very small little garden, but I like it.  The annuals I planted this spring have barely been able to survive their fight for life against the weeds.  Our small pond (really just essentially a watering trough in a cute shape) had not been filled for many weeks, the little pump had tipped over and not been working for quite a long time. The water was green, scummy, and had a small mammal of some sort floating lifelessly along the surface. I had not yet put the mulch over the soil, so the weeds were dancing into the garden and celebrating their victory.    The creeping charley has not been satisfied to have nearly taken over the grass of the yard, it was sneaking its way into the garden as well.

So, a full day of work in this tiny little garden for me. It was 90 degrees, and humid. We had guests coming for dinner, so there was much incentive to keep at it until it was done. One of the guests has gardens that could rival most mansion’s formal gardens. I didn’t want to be humiliated, only humble.

I pulled weeds, and I pulled weeds, and I pulled more weeds. I had time to consider the larger world, and slowly came to the realization that a garden is merely a smaller version of our society.  I thought deep thoughts!

Wow! The heat was really playing with my mind.

I came to the conclusion that the garden is a metaphor for the world. Allow the bad guys just a little opening, and they will take everything they can get. If you are not constantly vigilant, it will be very hard work to extricate them once they have had a chance to establish themselves.  Negotiation is futile. The only thing they understand is brute force. (I don’t like that analogy).  I noticed that many of the weeds which were the most healthy and difficult to remove were insinuating themselves in and around the good plants, the ones that I want to keep. By sticking near them, they received the water and fertilizer meant for the choice plant, and they benefitted from what little care I had given those plants over the past weeks.

It was not a pretty world I envisioned out there in my back yard.  As I said, it was very hot, I was very red in the face, and sweat had soaked through my clothes.

I may have to give up gardening to be able to have a reason to get up in the mornings!!!

But I think it was worth it.  A little water, dinner with new friends, and a good night’s sleep helped my tortured view of the world. Today I did my chores in the house, in air conditioning.

Here’s a look at the little garden:

It looks peaceful, doesn’t it?

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