my own drum

I am at long last on my way to becoming a gardener, this after years of claiming a 'brown thumb'. I've rarely had success with growing anything. I've killed cactus, ornamental trees, flowers, vegetables, shrubs. I simply don't have the gift of gardening. My dad used to grow tomatos in a five gallon bucket, all I could grow was weeds.

But I have noticed a change in direction over the past several months. It started in Arkansas, at Karen's garden. I was drawn to that garden, possibly because it was overgrown with weeds. But I did a little work in that garden, and it felt good. There is, however, only so much one can do in anothers garden. Karen would not let me pull weeds unless she was there, lest I pull something valuable. Fair enough, I thought, after all I can't tell a flowering weed from a flowering flower. They all look like plants to me. Unfortunately I learned very little in Karen's garden because she was so attention deficit that it was nearly impossible to get her to spend more than a few minutes showing me what was good and what was bad. But, I was drawn to the possibilities.

A few weeks ago someone suggested that I could be the manager for a community garden. I jumped at the opportunity. After a short interview, in which I did not hide my lack of knowledge or experience, I was allowed to assume the position. Now, to be honest, I don't have to do any gardening. This is a community garden, and as such there are individuals who are responsible for their own plot of garden space. My role is to keep the trash picked up out on the sidewalk. But here is a golden opportunity and I intend to use it fully. Already I have started pulling weeds from a couple of unused plots. It's a beginning.

I have recruited someone who does know about gardening to give me a hand. I hope that with her help I can get a crash course in vegetable growing. Meanwhile I'll continue pulling weeds and picking up trash, and trying to visualize how this garden will grow.

del.icio.us tag: Community Gardening