“Come and walk with me over here, but be quiet as you walk.”
With that the old woman tiptoed quietly across the vegetable garden to a large snowball bush that had been growing for years on the southeast corner of the garden. Pointing down at the base she rather excitedly exclaimed, “Did you see that rabbit go under there?”
I hadn’t seen any rabbit but didn’t want to admit it, so I offered a meek yes. She turned and faced me again and said, “I think that was Bountiful Bunny.”
Up to this point, I had assumed that Bountiful Bunny was a figment of my imagination, but as I stood there with the old woman, I couldn’t help but wonder what was real and what I was imagining.
“Let’s go sit over here in the shade, Carol, and I’ll tell you what I really came to talk about this morning.”
As we sat down in two chairs in the shade, the old woman turned toward me, laid her hand gently on my arm and began to speak as I listened intently.
“Carol, I think your garden really came to life the day you let the garden designer and hort-enabler come and see it. It’s shaping up nicely and even though there are still weeds and large areas to plant, trust me, it is only going to get better. I think you are happier with your garden now, too, since they came and since the garden designer helped you implement a real garden plan.”
I nodded my head in agreement as she continued.
“Awhile back you wrote that one of the secrets to happiness in your garden was to share your garden. A lot of what you wrote for that secret was about sharing the plants and vegetables from the garden, along with one’s knowledge of gardening. You sort of glossed over the part about letting others see your garden. Now I’m here to tell you that once you share your garden, as in truly let others come through your gate and see your garden and walk freely through it, your garden will be more alive, more full, and more vibrant than you can ever imagine. You should really go back and re-write that secret to emphasize that.”
As I pondered what she had just told me, the old woman got up, dusted off her pants, and said, “It’s time for me to go, but before I do, I’d like to thank you for sharing your garden with me today, even with the weeds in the flower beds and the vegetable garden, the empty pots and tools strewn around the patio, the half-built retaining wall, and the edges of the beds not being quite as sharp as you’d probably like them to be.
“It is still a pretty garden with a good framework and a lot of beauty.”
Before I had a chance to wonder how she saw all of that in my garden in the short time she was here, the old woman headed out through the garden gate, walked around toward the front of the house and disappeared once again. I was glad she had returned, happy to get her advice, but still filled with questions.
Exactly who was she, why did she seem so familiar and when would she return?
She really has a point…do you suppose age DOES bring wisdom?
She is a wise garden visitor!
Are you learning from yourself? I do agree with the sharing. I love to show visitors gardening, talking about my plants as if they were one of my children. As for that bountiful bunny, in my house they are referred as to the bad bunny, they nibble down many of my bushes.
HHMMM interesting thoughts to ponder. When I have weeds or tools out all I see is those things. I don't want others to look at the garden and see what I haven't done yet. And somehow what the lady at the door see's is not what isn't done but what is and the potential.
Wise, indeed. We haven't had anyone over for a barbecue because we still have so much work to do and we don't have respectable outdoor furniture. Hmmmmm………
Carol, this and the previous post about the old woman at the door are really nice posts and worth to give it a deeper thought.
Gardening is endless work year around, at least down here in our SE Texas region where we are living. No matter how hard we work in our garden, there always is something new added to the "To Do" list. But that's just part of gardening and the rewards are lots of enjoyable moments.
I know, our garden isn't perfect and still, we love it and we are proud showing it to our guests and to talk about the plants and share with other people what has worked out good for us or even to admit where we had failed and have learned our lessons from.
There is no need to be embarrassed because of a few weeds in a flower bed or some garden tools laying around or a project that has not been finished yet. Gardening means gaining new experiences on a daily basis and learning new lessons and actually you will never get completely done.
Best Regards and Happy Gardening
Paula Jo
Great post.
Gardening to me is always a work in progress and is never done. Sort of like life….every day there is a new step.
I enjoy sharing my garden with God's creatures save for when they start eating my good stuff. It's my quiet time and my time that I don't have to say a word about why things are or are not done. It's my therapy!
I heartily agree with the OWATD. I look forward to walking through your garden with you in August!
So now you've had a visit from future gardener. I'm sure you know present gardener intimately. I hope the little girl from gardens past is in your garden frequently! But really it's today that counts. Have that garden party now, things will never be perfect anyway!
What a wonderful gift the old woman brings to the younger woman!
She seemed to have a lot to say about those weeds. I hope you take care of them before I come to visit in August.