The OED of Me

Have you ever had a conversation only to realize mid-discussion that even though the topic may be the same, you and the other person have such divergent perspectives you might as well be talking in Swahili while they reply in Swedish? Every spring I end up in bizarre conversations about gardening with total strangers at our local nurseries. I've finally realized that my concept of gardening is often quite different than that of the person next me.

In order to make these gardening translation sessions easier, I've decided to create my own gardening version of the Oxford English Dictionary, or the OED to word nerds the world over. An abbreviated definition might read something like this:

Gardening (verb)

1. A highly cerebral activity involving complex creative and critical thinking combined with manual labor. I may smell like a goat after working in the garden all day but my brain is alternately soothed and stimulated and I've burned off my morning bagel.

This phlox seedling is the possible love child between 'David' and 'Laura'.

2. An excellent form of exercise that makes a gym membership moot. I once described my method of exercise as Extreme Dogwalking and Olympic Gardening. The person next to me laughed. Apparently they've never hauled 50+ bags of compost into the garden or dug holes in clay.

This is one of the sunniest areas in my garden. The top half of this bed was significantly redesigned in my garden makeover, while the bottom only needed minor tweaking. A few stems of a giant trumpet vine can be seen at the top right. The daylilies were moved to a moister spot.

3. An art form in which the gardener attempts to recreate the masterpieces already in nature and gratefully accepts accolades given by butterflies.

Eastern Tiger swallowtail butterfly at the 'Laura' phlox

4. A synonym for relaxing, infuriating, stimulating, satisfying

'Pilgrim' oregano thrived in a pot along side a rose known as The Imposter since it wasn't the variety I had ordered.  

5. A form of therapy more beneficial than standing in the kitchen in your underwear screaming words that rhyme with truck. Although, that has been known to be helpful.....

Marguerites and carrots

I think these short monarda are 'Coral Reef'. They bloom eagerly in my late spring garden.