Garden Gifts

Hello,

Leroy and I can tell that summer is here because of the many garden gifts that we keep getting. We have gotten rhubarb, lettuce, basil, more lettuce of different varieties, and radishes. Last night we were working in the community garden when a twenty something neighbor guy came over and started talking to me. He first invited me to have some of the lettuce in their back yard. He said, “You can just take what you would like.”

“Just where is this?” I asked looking in the direction of a tangled maze of plants in a variety of heights.

“I’ll show you,” he said as he led the way.

I was grateful for that assist as I might not have seen it, but when I did I was impressed at the healthy quality of the lettuce. Great things grow in the most unlikely places. We then proceeded to walk around the other side of the house which had an additional jungle to weave through. He then started telling me that they liked catnip tea. A healthy specimen of that plant was noted. I commented on the tall strawberries close to it.

“Yes we have had them many years,” he proudly asserted, “but they are done now.”

I showed him some berries still on the plants. He invited me to taste one sweet berry. I certainly think one would not expect weed killer to be put on anything in this yard so I popped it in my mouth.

Some yards may be an eyesore, but contain hidden treasures. Which is more important the visual or the content? That is always in the point of view of the beholder. I have to confess I had a little interior shudder when going past this house, but the feeling is a bit different now.

Paula