Gardening and landscaping, it seems to me, are making a slow but large shift in definition, mindset, and desire. At risk of taking a great quote out of context (from a larger analysis on lawns in Second Nature and Michael Pollan’s subtle disagreement with them), he writes, “Gardening, I had by now come to appreciate, is a painstaking exploration of place; everything that happens in my garden- the thriving and dying of particular plants, the maraudings of various insects and other pests- teaches me to know this patch of land more intimately, its geology and microclimate, the particular ecology of its local weeds and animals and insects. My garden prospers to the extent I grasp these particularities and adapt to them” (Pollan, 1991, p. 62-63). There’s real entertainment and rare peace in sitting near a whole theatre that casts a wide swath of diverse characters in the forms of bumble bees, butterflies, asters, campion roses, and on and on and on! My hope is that the enthusiasm and satisfaction that can be gained from engaging with your patch of land- such as with the planting of native species and the removal of homogenous lawns, the ritual of hand watering, and so forth- that these things will become more ubiquitous and not just popular, but accepted as absolutely necessary. There are many lessons embedded in successful gardening (and especially the inevitable failures) that go beyond the management and logistics of irrigation and planning and all that; an appreciation for stillness and motion, an acceptance of the limits of our environment, and especially the willingness to live in accordance with nature’s schedule and designs.
