Monty speaks
Monty Don, the famous UK gardener, writing in his December 2020 Gardener’s World article, talks about the possibility of delight in our gardens. Especially now, during a nasty, prolonged pandemic.
Because people are home more, they notice more things in their gardens. Unable to see co-workers, family and friends, they can still notice birds singing in their gardens, tulips opening, buds bursting, and trees leafing out. It’s the present moment that counts. That’s all there is, the present moment so enjoy it, and embrace it.
Delight
Monty says that “the possibility of delight is there in the most ordinary and humble of moments.” I couldn’t agree more.
One great example of the possibility of delight in the garden comes from my work day last Friday. While walking on a multi-family site, I noticed the intoxicating fragrance of a lilac shrub (Syringa) and stopped to smell it. It was very noticeable from a distance.
Then, just as I took a photo of the shrub, a little girl in a summer dress, waiting for her ride to a play date, started asking me rapid-fire questions; the way kids do.
So, I got an idea. Since she was too short to reach the flowers, I grabbed my snips and cut one off for her so she could smell it. Talk about delight!
She grabbed the flower, took in the fragrance and, clearly delighted with her new discovery, ran into the house to share it with her nanny. Later, I saw her yelling excitedly at the neighbors, “lilac!”
Delighted Vas
Sometimes I worry about the future and I often think about the past, but I always take notice of the present moment, especially outside in the landscape. I experience delight all the time. And I also know that the workers I manage are delighted to see me every day. I’m just too humble to say it.
I’m delighted when grass seed germinates, when I notice the tiny white flowers on Japanese hollies (Ilex crenata), and when Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima) gently sways in the breeze.
What’s your garden delight?
