Some gardeners plan their garden
with meticulous attention to detail.
They choose colors that
will complement each other
and design their garden
as if they were
painting on a canvas.
Others are more spontaneous
and simply visit a nursery
and purchase plants
that appeal to them.
Often gardeners have a trademark plant
that is their specialty.
Perhaps they enjoy the velvet
texture of the leaves, or maybe
the flower's color attracts them.
The varieties of gardens
are endless. Terrace gardening
has become popular. With
a herbal garden, cooks enjoy
being able to use fresh herbs
from their garden to
add zest to their favorite dishes.
They simply visit their garden
and clip a few pieces of
the herb they wish to use.
Every garden is as individual
as its owner. Gardens come
in all shapes and sizes.
Some are in the shape
of a rectangle, while others
are circular or irregular in shape.
Some gardeners like the appearance
of an asymmetrical shape
while others work to
achieve symmetry in their gardens.
For vegetable gardens, the most
popular shape is rectangular
and vegetables are usually planted
in a linear fashion.
This method makes it easier
to cultivate between
the rows of plants.
You could mistake some gardens
for a meadow when the gardener
chooses to include only
wildflowers as a choice of vegetation.
Including a pond in
a garden is popular too.
Entrepreneurs are always looking
for innovations and gadgets that
will attract the attention
of devoted gardeners and
induce them to spend their money.
It has become a huge industry
in the last few years,
as the baby boomers reach
retirement age and have more time
to pursue hobbies such as gardening.
There are new products patented
every year to tempt the gardener.
It is possible to
buy a kit that contains
a complete set of tools
needed by the home gardener.
Unfortunately, often the quality
is poor and the product
is a fraud. Instead of
having something good to
work with, the purchase
turns out to be junk.
If you want to flatter
a gardener, and boost
their ego at the same time,
summon up the courage to
simply ask if you can
swap plants. Of course,
it will give them a thrill
if you also compliment them
on the hardiness of their plants
as compared to yours.
They might even try to
console you on your lack
of competence as a gardener
because your plants are not
as sturdy as their plants.
Irrespective of the competence
of the gardener, anyone who
augments the number of plants
grown is helping to conserve
our planet by averting erosion.
This pays great dividends
for everyone as it also
serves to protect the ozone layer.
Some people erect barricades
to keep small animals
from attacking the plants.
Squirrels love to dig up
flower bulbs. They find
them a tasty treat.
It is common to see
ceramic fixtures or figurines
in a garden. Even
the untrained eye can tell
that the imitations are a fake,
yet properly placed, they add
to the intrinsic beauty.
A rain gauge, attached
by a bracket to a fence,
is a common sight and
is used to enable the gardener
to diagnose the moisture level
of the soil around
the plants and determine
if they need more water.
If nature does not provide
enough rain, then the gardener
will use a plastic or
rubber hose to provide
more irrigation. With a twist
of a knob, or by moving
a lever, the thirst of
the plants for moisture
can be quenched.What greater pleasure,
than to work in your garden
and as you clip
the overgrown plants back to
size or prune branches
of fruit trees, hear
the buzz of bees?
You know that they are
enjoying your garden as
they extract the pollen
from the blooms. You relish
the feeling that you are
one with nature. The hum
of insects as they share
the garden is more pleasurable
than music from a stereo
or a symphony to
a devoted gardener. In addition,
the scent of the flowers
is an integral part
of the joy of spending
time working in a garden.
The irony of the situation
is that nature sometimes
conspires against the gardener,
and a hailstorm can riddle
beautiful plants, shredding their leaves
in minutes. Hurricanes can uproot
even the largest trees
although this is an event
that seldom occurs in Southern Ontario.
Tornadoes are more likely
in this area.Parasites can
attack plants and threaten their survival.
Any number of things
can become a plague.
It is often difficult
to discern exactly what it is
that is destroying the precious plants.
Any number of complications
can shatter the gardener's dream
of surpassing last year's accomplishment.
An authentic gardener will not
brood about the disappointment
for long. Even as
the disaster is occurring,
you might overhear the gardener
murmur “There's always next year.”
