Reflections

We've been enjoying a fun BBC show with Monty Don about big dreams for small gardens. While some of the results are more successful than others, it is amazing what the largely inexperienced or non-gardeners in the program have been able to achieve. One of Monty's statements struck me especially because it has fit my own gardening style over the years. It is worse to underplant than overplant, he urges.  Cram it in, he encourages timid souls who are obsessed with the perfect placement for their plants. Fill the space and worry about weeding things out or moving them later.  Having started my Petoskey garden from scratch, I can empathize. It is easier to be patient and let things grow if the newly planted garden doesn't look like a wasteland from the get-go. Even as I write, I am imagining my garden and wondering what will survive the winter, what is crowding out everything around it and what my strategies might be for correcting the situation. A garden is a living, ever-changing canvas upon which to paint a highly personal portrait of 'beauty' and 'community'. The days are getting longer. Spring will come---an exciting thought. Photos: Jamming in the plants in my Petoskey garden.