Margaret's Message

I have a friend whose family calls her Ratatouille, named after the famous rat in the award winning movie by the same name.  Ratatouille is a secret chef who puts together succulent concoctions just by throwing all sorts of food, herbs and spices into a pot. My friend does just that.  Ask her for specifics and you will go away empty handed.

Our club is a kind of concoction, full of all sorts of wonderful people who put their talents and friendships together into one pot to form beautiful gardens and share information galore. 

We all have “our ways.”  Some of us are very particular as to where that one flower should be placed.  Some of us are more freewheeling.  I, myself, am the Ratatouille of my garden.  I must admit, as much as I learn from the garden club, I do not put all the information to good use. 

The hydrangea's color depends on the PH in the soil. Mine is whatever color it chooses to be.  The pumpkin vine that grows where last year's pumpkin landed after Halloween is trained to go up to the roof of the house.  (My experiment worked. I have pictures.)  I plant my flora where I need something to fill a space or lend color to the palate.  I do pay attention to full/partial/no sun, but we all know that these greens can be persnickety and change their minds as to how much  sun they want any day, any time.  My hostas that are supposed to like shade have not grown in the six years they've been there. 

My garden, therefore, is always a plain experiment.  I plant.  It grows. Yippee!  OR I plant, it dies, out it comes, only to be replaced by something else.  The rat would be proud.

 

Margaret Vatter