搜索
RiteofSpring(ArthurMiller)haveneverunderstoodwhywekeepagardenandwhyover36yearsagowhenIboughtmyfirsthouseinthecountry,Istarteddiggingupapatchforvegetablesbeforedoinganythingelse.Whenyouthinkhoweasyandcheap,relatively,itistobuyabunchofcarrotsorbeets,whyraisethemAndrootcropsespeciallyarehardtotellapart,whenstore-bought,fromourown.Thereisahumaninstinctatworkhere,akindofback-breakingmake-believethathasnoreality.Besides,Idon’tparticularlylikeeatingvegetables.I’dmuchrathereatsomethingjuicyandfat.Likehotdogs.,ifyoucouldraisehotdogsoutsideyourwindow,you’dreallyhavesomethingyoucouldjustifywithoutasecond’shesitation.Asitis,though,IcannotdenythatwhenAprilcomesIfindmyselfgoingouttoleanonthefenceandlookatthatmiserableplotofland,resolvingwithallmyrationalpowersnottoplantitagain.Butinevitablyamorningarriveswhen,justasIamawakening,ascentwaftsthroughthewindow,somethinglikeearth-as-air,ascentthatseemstocomeupfromtheverycenterofthisplanet.Andthesunmeansbusiness,suddenly,andhasadifferent,deeperyellowinitsbeamsonthecarpet.Thebirdsbeginscreaminghysterically,thinkingwhatIamthinking—thewormsaredeliciouslywormingtheirwaythroughthemeltingsoil.isnotonlypleasuresendingmebacktostareatthatplotofsoil,itisreallyconflict.Thequestionisthesameeachyear—whatmethodshouldweuseThelastfewyearsweput36-inch-wideblackplasticbetweentherows,anditworkedperfectly,keepingthesoilmoistindrytimesandweed-free.blackplasticlookssoindustrial,sounromantic,thatIhavegraduallymovedovertohaymulch.Wecutalotofhayand,asitrots,itdoesimprovethesoil’scomposition.Besides,itlookslovely,andcomestousfree.agardenmakesyouawareofhowdelicate,bountiful,andeasilyruinedthesurfaceofthislittleplanetis.Inthat50-by-70-footpatchtheremustbeadozendifferenttypesofsoil.Tomatowon’tgrowinonepartbutlovesanother,andthesamegoesfortheothercrops.Isupposeifyouloadedthesoilwithchemicalfertilizerthesedifferenceswouldbelessnoticeable,butIuseitsparinglyandonlyinrowsrightwhereseedsareplantedratherthanbroadcastoverthewholearea.I’mnotsurewhyIdothisbeyondthesavinginfertilizerandmyunwillingnesstoaidtheweeds.attractionsofgardening,Ithink,atleastforacertainnumberofgardeners,areneuroticandmoral.Wheneverlifeseemspointlessanddifficulttograsp,youcanalwaysgetoutinthegardenandgetsomethingdone.Also,yourpaternalormaternalinstinctscomeintoplaybecausehelplesslivingthingsaredependingonyou,requiretrainingandencouragementandprotectionfromenemies.Insomecases,aswithbeansandcucumbers,yourchildren—asitwere—begintoturnuponyouinmassivenumbers,growingmoreandmoreeachmorningandthreateningtofollowyouintothehousetostrangleyouintheirvines.isamoraloccupation,aswell,becauseyoualwaysstartinspringresolvedtokeepitlookingneatthisyear,justlikethepicturesinthecatalogues.ButbyJuly,youonceagainfacethechaosofunthinnedcarrots,lettuceandbeets.Thisiswhenmywifebecomes—openlynow—mistressofthegarden.Aconsumerofvastquantitiesofvegetables,shedoesthethinningandhand-cultivatingofthetinyplants.Squatting,shepatientlymovesdowneachrowselectingwhichplantsshallliveandwhichshewillcastaside.aboutthistime,mywife's86-year-oldmother,abotanist,makesherfirstvisittothegarden.Shelooksaboutskeptically.Herfavoritetaskisbindingthetomatoplantstostakes.Sheisanoutspoken,truthfulwoman,orshewasuntilshelearnedbetter.Now,insteadofsaying,Youhaveplantedthetomatoesinthedamppartofthegarden,shewaitsuntilOctoberwhenshemakesherannualtriptoherhomeinEurope;thenshegivesmemygood-bykissandsayscasually,Tomatoesindampsoiltendmoretogetfungi,andwalksawaytoherplane.ButbyOctobernothinginthegardenmatters,sosureamIthatIwillneverplantitagain.9.Igarden,Isuppose,becauseImust.Itwouldbeintolerabletohavetopassanunplantedfencedgardenafewtimesaday.Therearealsocertaincompensations,andthesemustbewhatannuallyturnmymindtowardallthatwork.Therearefewsightsquiteasbeautifulasavegetablegardenglisteninginthesun,alldewyandglitteringwithadozenshadesofgreenatseveninthemorning.Farlovelier,infact,thanrowsofhotdogs.Insomepocketofthemindtheremayevenbeatendencytochangethisvisionintoapersonalreassurancethatallthishealthygrowth,thisorderlinessandthrustinglifemustsomehowreflectsimilarmovementsinone'sownspirit.WithoutagardentotillandplantIwouldnotknowwhatAprilwasfor.itis,Aprilisforgettingirritatedalloveragainatthispointless,time-consuminghobby.Idonotunderstandpeoplewhoclaimtolovegardening.Agardenisanextensionofoneself—orselves—andsoithastobeanarenawherestrivingdoesnotcease,butcontinuesbyothermeans.Asanexample:yousimplyhavetofacethemomentwhenyoumustadmitthatthelettucewasplantedtoodeeporwasnotwateredenough,ceasehopingitwillshowitselftomorrow,anddiguptherowagain.Butyouwillfeelbetterfornotstandingonyourdignity.Andthat'swhatgardeningisallabout—characterbuilding.WhichiswhyAdamwasagardener.(Andallknowwhereitgothim,too.)isitconceivablethatthefatherofusallshouldhavebeenaweaver,shoemaker,oranythingbutagardenerOfcoursenot.Onlythegardeneriscapableofendlesslyrevivingsomuchhopethatthisyear,regardlessofdrought,flood,typhoon,orhisownstupidity,thisyearheisgoingtodoitright!LeaveittoGodtohavepickedtheproperoccupationforhisonlycreaturecapableofsuchse