When a gardener goes for a walk

I walked around my neighborhood today.  I wanted to check out the petunias I planted at the entrance earlier in the spring—they are doing fine thanks for asking—and I decided the exercise would be good for me.

I was walking alone, except I wasn’t really alone because I was listening to a Plantrama: Science, Art, & Dinner, It’s All In Your Backyard podcast so I was sort of walking with Ellen Zachos and C. L. Fornari. I know both of them from the Garden Writer’s Association, oops, that should be GWA: The Association of Garden Communicators.

Listening to their podcast while walking is I guess the next best thing to going for a walk with them. They chat amiably about a variety of gardening topics and I listen in. Funny, I can’t get a word in edgewise.

As I walk, I naturally look at the lawns and foundation plantings, and the occasional gardens, in the neighborhood.

I can tell who has a mowing service. I can tell who has a lawn service. I can tell who thinks planting a few shrubs and a tree is all you need to do, forever. And, of course, I can tell who gardens.

I see shrubs that I think ought to be pruned, but not now because if they do it now, they’ll cut off the blooms of early spring.  I see weeds that it would just take a second or two to pull up. And edges of landscape borders that ought to be sharpened up a bit.  Maybe add a bit of mulch in a few, a lot, of places.

I see flowers, too. But not a lot of flowers. Like most neighborhoods, we could use more flowers.  I see a couple of people grow vegetables, but just a few, and no one seems to grow as many as I do.  I think more people should grow vegetables.

For the most part, the neighborhood is fairly tidy and I really shouldn’t judge the landscapes or lack thereof.

I get back to my own house and garden and notice a weed or two that would just take a second to pull. Just need to figure when I want to spend that second or two. I know it will lead to a few minutes, then an hour, then I’ll have to shower and change clothes because I got all hot and sweaty.  At least that’s the reason I give for leaving those few little weeds. I’ll get to them later.

I also have a few shrubs that maybe could have been cut back earlier, but I chose not to, or let time slip by and choose for me. I’m purposely waiting until October to limb up my oak tree. I read that by waiting, you lessen the chances of insects passing on the oak wilt disease to the oak trees. I love a good reason to wait.

By the time I get home from my walk, the podcast is over and I bid C. L. and Ellen good-bye until the next podcast.  I’m a little sweaty, so after a drink of water I should head out and pull those few weeds.  

Perhaps I will this time.