Green Mountain Gardener

The tulips, daffodils, and crocus were out in full force this weekend at the Vermont Flower Show.  The theme of this year’s show was “Child’s Play,” in support of a movement to reconnect children with nature.    In an effort to encourage children to spend more time playing outside, this interaction with the natural world can set them on a path of physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  The theme was a great success, as there were many families present, and the kids seemed to be having a wonderful time playing in a giant treehouse as well as in and among the gardens.  As I stood in line at the beginning of the garden tour, a small girl behind me strained to see what lie in the pathway ahead.  Her eyes grew wide as she exclaimed, “It’s a plant forest!!”

The highlight of the show for me was attending a seminar given by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, of North Hill Gardens in Readsboro, VT.   They spoke on essays from their recent book, Our Life In Gardens.  I was going to use the seminar as kind of a “preview” of their new book, until I was encouraged by Mr. McGregor’s Daughter to purchase the book ahead of time and have them sign it.  What a lovely idea!  The book is beautifully written, and with each essay I found myself hungry for more.  The first evening I opened the book and glanced through the table of contents, I was delighted to find entire sections devoted to Poppies, Hellebores, Magnolias, Lilacs, and more.  The book is in part a memoir, and it was wonderfully entertaining to read of how their garden in Vermont came to be.

I believe Our Life In Gardens will be a fabulous reference for a beginning gardener such as myself, with eyes for beauty, and the excitement I contain (or, try to contain) in creating my own garden.  I dream about the future, and how one day I will walk through what will then be a lovely, mature garden.   As I long for this, I try to remember not to wish too far into the future.  This, the building of my garden, holds magic, too.