. . . a book is like a garden. There is always something to tinker with and improve; it has seasons: research, writing, production, publication; it inspires ceremonies, rituals, struggles, and rewards. . . . the physical garden and the recorded one [are] staked out with language. Writing about an event allows one to re-experience it in slow motion, whether it is a flower or an idea. Both flower and idea are dramas. They are at the atomic level, of course, where all is motion. ~Diane Ackerman
Excerpts from Garden Journal, January-March 2020
1 Jan 2020. First garden entry of a new decade. I wonder if I’ll still be around to celebrate 2030 with a garden journal entry. At the moment I feel confident I’ll make it, but I also know one’s health can turn on a dime. I began my gardening efforts in the new year by editing photos shot at the Alum Garden on 23 December. I’m sorting the photos into two groups: seedheads and foliage. Overall I have been pleased with the photos, including several decent closeups. Started with 150 photos and should have 70+ I can use in two web slideshows. I still have about 40 photos to edit, which mostly involves cropping so viewers will more likely focus on the photo’s primary subject(s). I also spent an hour working on the Alum Garden map, mostly on the initial layout for the “I” bed. [Alas, one year later this map project remains unfinished, hampered by my failure to settle on a clean layout that accurately represents what’s located in each perennial bed and how the prominent vegetation changes through the seasons.]
In the afternoon to Coe. Watered the plants on the 3rd floor of Peterson Hall and sprayed the big ficus with Neem oil. Despite evidence of a scale infestation, the ficus has really grown since I trimmed it in October, when we brought it inside after a summer in the Alum Garden. The Neem oil has an odor, so I’m glad I could do the spraying when no one was around. The scented geranium also needs trimming--which I had failed to trim in October when we also brought it back from the Alum Garden. I’ll return to Peterson on Friday, give it a haircut, and use those cuttings to start new geraniums in the greenhouse.
After watering the Peterson plants, I worked in the garden for another hour. The temp was in the 40s and occasional sunshine so it was quite comfortable; didn’t need a winter coat. I began by trimming vegetation behind the NE bench. I collected seedheads from the Verbena bonariensis and sprinkled its seeds in 3 new areas: middle of the “I” bed, area in front of the amsonia in the “K” bed, and east end of the “M1" bed between the peonies and cranesbill. [As usual, the Verbena ignored my efforts, no emergence in the three areas where I sprinkled fresh seed, but it did expand its coverage of the garden, popping up in several new areas–most notably in the sundial flower bed in front of the gazebo. The Verbena has again demonstrated it marches to the beat of its own drummer.]
2 Jan. Started the day by driving to Iowa City to spend the day with my buddy Theo, but by the time I got there I felt awful: lightheaded, queasy stomach, no energy. I called MVM and she replaced me. After I got home, I worked on editing the December garden photos and read some commentary on miracles in the Gospels–and why Jesus should not be perceived as a magician. After lunch, took an hour nap and felt much better. Went to Coe, mailed some Alumni Garden calendars, and worked in the garden shed for a couple hours. After getting four “buckets” of water from the Alum House, I watered the basil, cilantro, and other plants in the greenhouse. Then spent 30 minutes recording names of plants in the “F” bed. In locating plants on the digital map, I realized I needed more precise info than my memory could recall. So I switched to working on December photo slideshow. Managed to identify one mystery photo as a ‘David’ phlox seedhead. It’s my impression the seeds are sterile but a lovely seedhead and one of my best photos from December.