Dream Garden (A Response to the Grow Write Guild's Second Writing Prompt)

Making multiple mental wish lists hasn't been hard. But, during the past month-and-a-half, devoting time, energy and focus to writing has been. And so today, I find myself weeks behind in responding to Gayla's second writing prompt (and the third, fourth and fifth prompts, too).

But I have made some progress since I first read Gayla's prompt in early April:

"Describe your fantasy garden."

"This exercise has nothing to do with how much money you have, where you live now, or real life. It's pure fantasy. This is the garden you would make if you could do ANYTHING."

Every time I've worked on drafts, the same ideas have come to mind -- with a few additions based on what I've seen or read in between writing sessions.

So this morning I'm going to say the germination period is now complete. Time now for the seedlings (and yes, many of the ideas are not fully developed so I shall use the garden analogy) to published.

There is also and underlying theme or guiding philosophy to my dream garden that is based on William Morris' classic quotation:

"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

The elements of my dream garden must be useful, beautiful and nurture nature. If they fulfill these criteria, they will also nuture the gardener.

I'm w-a-a-a-y behind in responding to Gayla's writing prompts. Well, that's not quite true. While tending to the plants on my balcony and in my community plots and also while taking Piper for evening walks, I've been planning my fantasy garden and "mind-writing" this post. And now, while I'm on the second (and sadly, final) week of a stay-close-to-home, garden-focused vacation, I've decided it's time to refine and publish my wish list. It's a mix of the practical and the beautiful. It nurtures nature as well as nourishes the gardener.

To paraphrase William Morris, "Have nothing in your garden that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Last month I started two different drafts in response to prompt #2, And so if there were no limits on what I could do, have or make in my dream garden, I would included all these elements and qualities:

The practicalities

The fantasies

big enough to keep me blissfully occupied tending and planning and enjoying

but not so large as to overwhelm

enough sun and warmth for eggplants

sufficent shade and cool for moss & lilies of the valley and violas

moss lined banks

stepping stones

rainbarrel, compost bin, greenhouse in an efficient configuration like the u-shaped kitchen work area of stove, fridge and sink

cold-frame

curves

Japanese maples for meditation

Colour, fragrance, flavour, bird-songs and breezes,

continuous with the kitchen

A naturescape

stone walls

a view of the mountains

decreasing order and formality as we move from the kitchen garden through the native garden to the spaces beyond. The distant vista: mountains.

Dream gardening: warm sunshine, cool breeze, blue sky, wisps of clouds, birds and bees and butterflies, blossoms and greenery

Starts with seed and soil, sun and rain.

When I dream, I don't dream about the plants, though they surround me. I dream about the feeling of being lost in the digging and tamping, weeding and pruning, staking and tying.

Absolute criteria: organic in true sense of the term,

Garden Dreams....

to garden in the fullest parts of the day

instead of the corners and pockets

to look up and view distant mountains in all directions

the same plants, the same functional areas but in a greater space

But now when I re-read my lists and sentence fragments (that's how I think, which makes writing posts so difficult) I realize I was far too practical. Yes, I want the compost container, greenhouse, cold frame but Gayla gave me permission to let go:

Stripes, fringes and frills

Irresistible tulips. I succumbed to their charms during recent visits to the garden shop in March. One bouquet for me, one bouquet for my mom, and a small pot of three to keep the daffodils and crocuses company on the balcony.

My First Plant (A Response to the Grow Write Guild's First Writing Prompt)

For almost 2 weeks now -- ever since I read Gayla's writing prompt -- I'd been wanting to respond to it. But I had my doubts, and still do. Am I recalling the distant memory of my first plant? Or am I remembering a childhood dream? Most of the details -- except colour, location & the identity of the person kneeling beside me -- are vague and dream-like. Yet, I've replayed the scene in my mind many times over the years and can't shake it (much like an earworm). And since the second writing prompt is coming tomorrow, I'll stop procrastinating and tell my very short story now.

Yellow flowers in an old, white-painted tractor tire next to the garage: these were my first plants. I think I was about 4 or 5 years old. The memory (or dream) has a definite pre-school feeling to it. I was proud to be allowed to help Mom with a grown-up task. We carefully placed the flowers with the cheerful faces in the holes we had created with our trowels, then firmed soil over the roots. "Pansies," Mom said in response to my question.

After that mother-daughter gardening session, I don't recall helping with daily watering or weeding so those particular pansies may have been under my care only momentarily. But other versions of them as well as violas have been regularly appearing in gardens I've tended over the years.

When I inherited my community plot in Spring 2011, it was badly overgrown and tangled with weeds and neglected plants. I removed everything, except these yellow pansies, which cheerfully welcomed me to my new garden home and connected me with my first (remembered) plant.

After typing the final period and now just before hitting publish, I will say again I don't know if this is memory or dream...but perhaps it doesn't matter.

Tulips for Easter

“Beauty is not caused. It is.”
― Emily Dickinson

Earth Hour

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Addendum: In response to Kathryn's query, here is how I spent Earth Hour -- enjoying a warm and nourishing dinner and lively conversation with my Mom.

Recipe in development -- basically it consists of alterating layers of (1) whole wheat tortillas, (2) a mixture of corn, peppers, salsa, seasonings, and "refried" (lard-free) black beans and (3) a mixture of cottage, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, all baked in a spring-form pan.