Spotted geranium

JOSEPH writes:

Thank you for your latest musings on the venerable herb ladies. I entirely agree with your estimation of them. They are grounded; they have roots; they are perennial; they know about proper timing, proper care, and the non-perfectibility of this world. See how radically reactionary gardening is! Why is this? Because gardeners inevitably come to realize that you cannot fool Mother Nature. You either learn, acknowledge, and respect the nature of living things — or they languish (and often perish). Of course, there is always a peddler trying to make a buck by selling you this latest Mastery of Nature invention to poison your garden. You may even get duped from time to time. Yet, you learn that nature must be respected and that technological shortcuts come with a hefty price to pay. Eventually, you accept that you can’t cheat and win. Follow the wisdom of the herb ladies — and your garden will prosper.

Last weekend, I attended our annual local plant sale (“the plant sale”) to raise money for a charitable educational gardening organization, as I usually do. As I looked around and gathered up a box of new chlorophyllic recruits, I chatted with many of these dendrological dames. One lady exclaimed how happy she was that a young man like me was interested in gardening. I hadn’t even noticed, but then I realized that the vast majority of the volunteers and the customers were women, trending gray. How wonderful that feminism hasn’t ruined those women’s natural love of life.

I wish you luck in the yard. By the way, I bought a ‘mint rose’ scented geranium at last year’s sale, and I managed to keep it alive in the garage over the winter (with grow lights) without dormancy. So, don’t toss them out in the autumn. They can live on, better than ever — like the herb ladies.

Laura writes:

Thank you.

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