Mary Claire Rowe

Today I am writing a "True Confessions Magazine" article, or at least what I imagine those articles to be, since I never read one, I am proud to say.

You know what I mean - someone tells their deepest, darkest secret, which reveals that they have been "living a lie." Everyone thinks that person is one thing, but in reality, they are certainly another. Their reputation is built on a certain set of assumed facts, but the foundation of those facts is placed on shaky ground. So, now that I have brought it up, I guess I will have to spill the beans...My true confession is that I am a "fair-weather gardener."

There, I have confessed for all to see, and my reputation is in for it. Yes, I hate to garden in the heat ... or cold. I am like Goldilocks, the weather has to be "just right." It should be not too hot, not too cold, not too humid, not too still ... just perfect - like Camelot.

I prefer that the rain falls at night, that the gentle breezes blow in the day that the sun stays mainly behind light, fluffy clouds keeping the earth warm, but not hot. And, so on it goes. I would like to plant once, weed once, mulch once, fertilize once, and that would be that!

This would free my time to walk about the garden, or sit in the shade with a cool glass of tea, looking at the beautiful flowers, smelling the delightful aromas, and generally enjoying the fruits of my light labors. Ahhh, how ideal!

I am reminded of a PBS program called "Good Neighbors" that ran years ago. It was about a couple that turned their ordinary, suburban England grounds into a self-sustaining garden to feed themselves and their livestock.

This was in the 1960s when people were thinking seriously about being self-sufficient.

This couple took action about saving gasoline by eliminating a long commute to work, growing their own crops, recycling disposable products, and using the planet in a gentler, kinder way. Hmm, does that have a familiar ring?

Oh, just think where we might be today, if that trend had become a major concern for the general population. The oil sheiks might not be as rich and powerful, and our country would not be at their mercy. We would not likely be paying $4 a gallon for gasoline.

The program was such a success that it was shown in re-runs for 20 years, and may yet run again. It was such a wonderful farce with an element of truth that people could relate to it for several generations.

So many of the small actions they took are things that each of us could do today and the result would be amazing. Recycling is one of the easiest actions to take, and it is getting even easier now that the city of Tyler has made curb side pick-up available. Reusing aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and paper and newspapers, just these three things, can make money for the city, and lessen our impact on the environment.

A simple thing such as taking cloth bags to the store to bring home groceries can reduce the need for plastic or paper bags.

But I digress. In one memorable episode, this "Good Neighbors" couple got into trouble, when the crops all needed harvesting at the same time and there had been a terrible rain with the garden becoming a mud pit. Their neighbor-friends came to the rescue. The woman next door was a "lady" gardener, who had a real gardener and her husband to handle most of the gardening chores. Her job was to come out, dressed like a lady to put the finishing touches on whatever project was at hand, and then to take full credit, of course.

She came to the harvesting with tall boots, long gloves, all-weather pants, jacket, and a so' ester hat. She then proceeded to pick one vegetable at a time, and with great pride to walk it back to the collecting bucket.

The episode concluded with her taking the expected pratfall onto the muddy ground. It was her comeuppance for trying to deal with the harsh realities of life from afar. And, perhaps that is the lesson for today.

Gardening means getting in the dirt, dealing with the pests, the weeds, the reality of life, despite the weather. There can not be any "fair-weather" gardening, if we expect to have success. We must all face and address the realities of our garden.

"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.

Mary Claire Rowe
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