Playful Gardening

“Earth laughs with flowers” is a favorite quote of mine from Ralph Waldo Emerson. If Mother Earth is laughing up/about/with flowers, that should be permission enough to have fun in the garden. I’m not talking about trysting behind the yew necessarily, although that does sound fun. I’m really talking about not taking ourselves too seriously when it comes to our gardens.

To add a little levity to your gardening life in August, I wanted to share with you the home and play “scape” I saw at one of Oregon’s more amazing wholesale nurseries: Bountiful Farms in Woodburn. They are well-known around the country for their sculpted plants, everything from garden parasols to leaping dolphins and deer. This year, they sculpted a house (from hornbeam trees, I believe) and arborvitae people at play and work in their make-believe garden!

And then there’s First Lady Michelle Obama promoting vegetable gardening in a light-hearted way. Mrs. Obama provides lots of positive gardening PR when she promotes vegetable gardening as a means to improve our health and well-being. It’s an important topic, but it is delivered in an entertaining and engaging way. Click here to watch the First Lady deliver a tongue-in-cheek “Top Ten Fun Facts about Gardening” as seen on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Perhaps tomorrow you can take gardening more seriously, but for today, please smile, take a deep breath and enjoy what you’ve created in your garden just the way it is.