Thursday, July 19, 2007

Summer

I took time out from Einstein to read The Massachusetts Gardener’s Companion from cover to cover. When I bought my house, I hoped I’d become obsessed with gardening (I feel I can always use another obsession, especially one that includes exercise and being outdoors) but couldn’t know until I did it. My mother was a gardener by profession—studied horticulture in college, worked for gardeners and florists—but as a child I was just annoyed that our garage smelled like manure. The only thing I learned from her is that Pachysandra is a hardy ground cover that spreads easily; she brought it with her when we moved from Philadelphia to Chicago. Oh, and she thought Swiss chard was food for the gods. When I was ten I couldn’t understand how anyone could rhapsodize over a vegetable, but I do now that I grow my own. So this thing that people have been doing forever to sustain themselves is a new miracle for me: you put seeds into the ground, soon they’re little green dots, and then—presto!—salad. Call it the city person’s fascination with free food. And now that I hardly ever have to go to the store, I have more time to paint.

4 comments:

joan said...

Are you growing Marijauana? It sure looks like it!!

Roberto said...

can I borrow the book? Rx

Roberto said...

how did you get all the weeds out? it looks so tasty!

Carol Diehl said...

I guess marijuana is in the eye of the beholder! It’s actually Verveine or Lemon Verbena, ubiquitous in France, and said to be calming to the nerves and an aid to digestion. I use the fragrant fresh leaves for tea in summer and in the fall, harvest and dry them for use over the winter. I haven’t tried smoking them yet!