My Garden Interview - Part 4

***i'm currently reading an older garden book titled, "Gardening From The Heart - Why Gardeners Garden" by Carol Olwell. The reason for this book is interesting, because, as she points out, gardening is hard work,

considered pretty much low grade manual labor, and is rarely lucrative -

so why do we do it? She compiles the story of many gardeners who were interviewed for this book. i am barely past the introduction, but i feel compelled to put into words how i myself came to be a gardener, and why....***
continued....

Q: Do you have anything you want others to know about you?

i'm amazed at all the yards in our suburban neighborhoods that have nothing but grass and a couple trees growing in them. My God, at least stick one tomato plant somewhere! Many people i know never go outdoors,

are scared silly of bugs, and we have actually met some who don't know where eggs come from! If they ever had to live off the land to survive, they'd be dead in a hurry! I'm sure even i would have trouble doing that, having been a "city girl" all my life, but i think i'd manage better than they would..

i make it a point to live as simply as i can in our normal American Midwestern life. i have a lot of things to do, but always try to just sit in the garden a few minutes, or walk to the park. If i see a hummingbird and want to stop and watch it, i do. It takes me about 45 minutes for a decent walk in the park, and if i can't find 45 minutes for myself, then i feel something's wrong with my life! i take all the

breaks and lunch hours and vacations i'm entitled to at my job. i feel that all of that is vital to my well-being. All the workaholics i know either have heart disease, or cancer, or diabetes - or have already died!

i try to be as environmentally "careful" as i can, too. i don't know why - i don't have children, so it's not because of my concern for my descendants having clean air to breathe! No, it's just something i feel i have to do for my OWN peace of mind. Don't get me wrong, i have a car, and gas heat, and central air conditioning, and a microwave and a computer - all the luxuries of modern life, but i don't abuse them. We use our central air maybe as

much as two weeks most years, when it's really necessary for sleeping. A lot of acquaintances put their air on the first 80 degree (F) day, and don't turn it off until Autumn! I walk if possible - i don't start the car to drive across the street! If i find a tiny spider in the house, do i call the exterminator? No. Either i gently take it outside, or the cats get it (!), or i leave it - especially in mosquito or gnat season, a couple of spiders in the house is a natural, self sustaining extermination system!

All anyone has to do is THINK a little to improve their lives and the planet.

 

Our current home has about a third of an acre, relatively large for a city lot, but it's conversely not enough and too much for me! One side of me would love several acres of a large, maybe partly wooded lot, but on the other hand, when i get home from an 8 hr workday, a huge area would be daunting! i already have areas that "get away " from me in the summer, mostly because i have my leaf castings to work on now, so even though i work outside, i still can't work ON the outside! My husband does the mowing and weeding (but only the recognizable weeds!), and enjoys the yard when it looks nice, but the work is not out of love, as it is with me. One time i complained to a friend of mine (who is a non

gardener married to a "plant nut" like me) that it would be nice if DH was as passionate about the plants as i was, but she said, "Yes, but then you would always be arguing about what plants to buy, and what location to plant them in, and in what configuration, etc. This way, you can do what you want without another person with different ideas getting

in your way." Well, i thought that was quite the wise thing to say, and ever since then, i don't really wish as much that i had married a horticulturalist !

pLANT dAY! ~ !***(a running commentary on the most interesting collector's plants I own) ~ *Perilla*

Perilla frutescens has been a part of my gardens for so many years now that i take it for granted, but i would hate to be without it! i knew absolutely nothing about it when i acquired it thru a Master Gardener plant swap (but, of course, that has never stopped me!). Also known as False Coleus and Beefsteak Plant (?), it's an annual in my area, but reseeds vigorously, so i always have it. Some people claim it is very invasive but, although it is in the Mint family (and most of that family is horribly invasive!) and it is all over my garden, it is easy to pull out and throw in the compost or move to containers, (in which it does very well). It comes in a green form, a purple form, and a couple of fairly new cultivars (Vanilla Perilla and Magilla Perilla - oh, those wacky plant people!). i have the common purple form, it looks very similar to purple Basil, but it keeps its deep purple color in sun, in shade, moist, dry - it doesn't care! Bugs leave it alone. Some leaves turn out with ruffled edges, and some do not. The leaves are not large, but you may have seen some of my Perilla leaf jewelry - they look very nice cast into pendants!

This time of year, when we see some bare spots in the beds, and my spousal unit complains, "We need to put something there", - i just point at the purple haze (ooo, Hendrix!) covering the ground, shake my head, and say "Perilla". In two weeks, the space will be bare no more! It can grow to a height of 1 to 3 ft., depending on location and/or the flower spikes.

There is conflicting information about using Perilla in food - some say it can be used as a substitute for Basil, but i have also heard it can be poisonous in any sort of quantities. i was told by a Vietnamese lady that it is frequently used as an herb in her country, so i'm not advising you either way. It has a fairly nice Basil-ly scent when the leaves are bruised, but i honestly don't like Basil flavor very well, or i think i'd try it.

The decorative factor and ease of growing it is good enough for me!

First Seed Swap Of 2010 - How It Turned Out

Why do i swap seeds? Partly because i like to get something for relatively nothing - yes, i do a little work to prepare, but i'm still not handing anyone money for what i get. It's also partly for something to do during the "worst" time of the winter; that is - when it's STILL winter, but you want it to be Spring so badly that it's almost a physical pain.

But a day like today reminds me of why i really do it. It's certainly not wanting to crowd into a roomful of people and having to wait several minutes at times just to MOVE 3 feet! It's because of what kind of people they ARE - gardeners! Almost everyone had the same look in their eyes - here we all are(the day after a snowstorm), surrounded by seed packets, seedlings, plants, plant paraphernalia, and although we do know a new season is very near, an event like this reinforces that promise. Did anyone complain about being crowded? No. Everyone was pleasant, considerate and smiling. We were all given paper grocery bags, and as we collected packets, bags or cups of what we wanted and put them into our bags, several of us could be heard commenting that we felt like we were collecting goodies at Halloween!

Didn't take my camera, but this looks close to our swap - just add about 50 more people into this picture!

Because this, 20 days before the first day of Spring, was a happy day for all of us!

Some of my "take" today, laying in a large cast Tobacco leaf i just finished. That package of black radish seed touts, "Popular Snack With Beer and Dips" - although i got nothing against beer, radishes sure wouldn't be my first choice as an accompaniment! i now have seeds of Resurrection Lily, "Rose" and "Cherokee Purple" tomatoes, an "experimental" variety of snap bean, and "Rattlesnake Master" Eryngium. Plus quite a few red Canna rhizomes that i promised i would get for my friend Diana, who is still recovering from cancer treatment, and, as a result, probably hasn't got the best of immune systems and i'm sure wouldn't have wanted to get into a crowd like that!

BLACK SWAMP ARTS FESTIVAL NEARLY HERE

The countdown has started - all i want now is good weather (usually hard to come by in this area). Although we HAVE been having beautiful weather, seems like every time we plan a show the weather guys always forecast rain, even though it may not be correct!

Anyway, here is the press release for my next event....

Planning is Complete…Donʼt Miss this HUGE Regional Event
Bowling Green, OH--Wood County - The 17th annual Black Swamp Arts Festival will feature a variety
of visual artists from across the country, local and national musical acts, and an interactive youth art area
– all free of charge.
The Festival running from Friday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. thru Sunday, Sept. 13 5 p.m. Juried and Wood County Invitational Art shows will
be open Saturday and Sunday. Festival guests will be entertained with live music and art throughout the weekend.
As music rings through the Downtown on Saturday and Sunday, patrons can enjoy the two fine art and fine craft shows
featuring artists from across the nation as well as from the Wood County community.
The Juried Art Show features more than 100 artists in varied mediums ranging from watercolor, jewelry, sculpture,
photography, multimedia and glass. Along with past festival winners and familiar favorites, many new and exciting artists will
display and sell their work.
Additionally, more than 40 local artists display work in the Wood County Invitational Art Show. All art shows
are open Saturday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
For more information visit www.blackswamparts.org