Take Back the Garden

I
suppose, some people have gardens that are always tour-ready. Either these
folks have a lot of time to devote to maintenance, or as the British say, they
have “stahff.” Of course I want
the grounds to be picture perfect – all two acres – and I know making it happen
could drive me into the ground.

However,
I have always shared my gardens. I garden to share the lives of wonderful
plants, but I am also creating living sculpture and a bit of theater. My garden
needs an audience to be complete. What is the sound of one hand clapping? But
getting the whole place in shape for one day and hundreds of people is more
than a little daunting.

On
this week’s radio show and podcast, I talk about what I am doing to
prepare for
two tours of my two gardens on the very same day – New Jersey and Brooklyn. And I also read a
humor piece
I wrote for the New York Times – tongue firmly planted in cheek – on
garden
touring.

The
photo below is of a border in the New Jersey garden I am renovating after it
was covered with sand and silt left by the flood of April 2007. Notice the
green tarp lying on the grass – it is holding a bit of the compost I bought for
a song. The material was allegedly screened, but it turned out to have plenty
of rocks and stones. My friend Karl Garlid volunteered to sieve it while his
wife, Mary Meyer went on a weeding marathon. Bless them both; and thanks to
Louis Bauer, Miguel Suarez, Jimmy McGrath and Mary Jasch of Dig It! Magazine for
pitching in.


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listening,

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Media Player or iTunes:

MP3 File