Before the seed there comes the thought of bloom,
The seedbed is the restless mind itself.
Not sun, not soil alone can bring to border
This rush of beauty and this sense of order.
Flowers respond to something in the gardener's face—
Some secret in the heart, some special grace.
Yours were the rains that made the roses grow,
And that is why I love your garden so.
~E.B. White for his wife Katherine on her birthday
Gardens feature often in E.B. White's work along with dogs, weather, ducks, chickens, and, yes, spring pigs, too. If you've never read his essays or his poetry, treat yourself. I'm rereading my collection now. I know that I've spoken of E.B. White's admiration for his wife's gardening *before,* but thought this poem perfect for the first day of spring.
Stumbled upon Leslie Land's web site again this morning...such a good one! She wrote The 3000 Mile Garden along with Roger Phillips. This book was also made into a PBS special that you may remember seeing. I enjoyed the premise immensely, which was about a gardener in Maine — Leslie Land and a gardener in Great Britain — Phillips who correspond and share tips and techniques for growing their respective gardens. Wonder if they still do???
So, if you're interested in gardening tips (and a whole lot more) you can't go wrong to read those included in Leslie's corner. Her recipe section is marvelous, too!
Happy spring to you, Dear One...
Edited to Add: Leslie tried to leave a comment here answering some of my questions and yours. Because of my new settings and trying to weed out spammers, I've weeded out Leslie. Wah! You can find her comments, along with a wonderful crisp crust walnut pie recipe, *here.* She also provided Roger Phillips's web site: Roger's Roses. Thanks, Leslie!
