The Unvarnished Truth About Gardening

Argiope aurantia, way past her prime, off the Web, with chamberbitter weed in the foreground

In the midst of some volunteer work today, I had a lively, you might even say tit-for-tat, discussion with someone I'm not likely to associate with in the non-volunteer realm. Why should we be so far apart? Well, for starters, we come from opposite ends of the political spectrum. And what brought us two disparate souls together? Gardening, of course. We both have a passion for it, you see, though we sometimes find that passion difficult to reconcile with our diametrically opposed points of view. Or, maybe not. Death, you see, is the great equalizer. We dance around the subject, as delicately as we can. But there it is. You can't escape it, and neither can I. And so we joke and dance as long as we can-can. And then, we go our separate ways.

Punica granatum 'Nana'

But we both embrace life. We hang onto it for all we're worth.

Hic Sunt Dracones: Pulling Dragons from the Ground and the Air

Rhionaeschna multicolor (Blue-eyed Darner)

If you're feeling blue now that summer is almost over--if you're in Florida, you should be kicking up your heels to a lively tune--stare into the blue eyes of a darner dragonfly. They are sure to make you smile. And if that doesn't work, then take SAM's advice and listen to the song by Corb Lund in the video below. Here be dragons--in the ground, in the air. Here be dragons everywhere. Okay, so maybe my paltry attempt at poetry falls flat on its face like a map of the world. Here Be Dragons, a poem that I came across while looking up the term, stands on its own as a model of great poetry.

Hic Sunt Dracones. Before they knew exactly what was just over the horizon, before explorers could bring home the good news of gold and other rich stuff in them thar hills, cartographers would warn of possible dangers in uncharted regions of the world. (Pointing) Here, here, and here be dragons. There, there, and there you can expect to travel safely--or at least without fear of encountering dragons. These days I think I'd rather take my chances with dragons than visit certain spots on the globe. Alberta (where the video was filmed) might be a good place to visit. At least the natives look and sound friendly. "Power to the People." Yeah.

Another Whirled Piece: Gardening in Days of Awe

Malvaviscus arboreus 'Dwarf Pink' Turk's Cap

In days of awe

When night temps can get raw

And politics can get steamy,

You stop by the less-traveled road

And drop your travel-less load,

Returning to life, garden-dreamy

Argiope aurantia near the end of her days

In days of awe

Argiope draws short straw

Of life and so shall we

If taking the Road to Damascus

Causes the world to task us

With rebuilding the whole Middle E

Love Bugs Make It On the Big Screen

In days of awe

A red-line faux pas--

Does a line in the sand really make it all right?

If truly we care for the future--we do have choices--

Let’s unravel each stitch of the suture

That’s bound up our voices

And so end this fight

In days of awe

Imagine the law

That captures the world’s attention

It frees us to act

With love, mercy—not blindly react—

Finally, at-one-ment(ion).