There can be beauty in the imperfections… I might wish that I felt more comfortable with this statement, but I am a selective perfectionist. This means that in some things I am very relaxed, but in others I can become paralyzed if I cannot get a project to meet my expectations. Thankfully, my husband and I are well-paired in this arena. Where I stall out, he moves forward with gusto. Our garden this year is a perfect example of how beauty and joy can come from unexpected imperfections. This is our second year planting a vegetable patch. Last year was a bit of a bust. We were novices with high expectations. We started the season in a flurry of energy and completely fell off as the summer progressed. This year, with new baby and a busy life, I entered with moderate expectations. We planted tentatively and sparingly… still, I stalled out when I couldn’t come up with an aesthetically appealing plan for my vertical peas. I was ready to throw in the towel. Thankfully Gus stepped in and made it happen. He also had big plans for our tomatoes. I hate the way the tomato planters look. There, I said it. They are planted in rubbermaid totes and are pretty ugly – but, as you will see, quite impressive.
As it turned out, the garden was a funny and beautiful success ~ an exercise in wabi sabi. Our peas were fantastic on their imperfect stakes. They grew like crazy and the kids enjoyed picking them every day for a month. Then our two small nasturtium plants went gangbusters. They took over the carrots and scallions and eventually had to be completely pulled. And now, our beans have gone crazy! We call them “the leaning tower” due to their robust growth towards the sky. Jokes have been made about whether we traded a cow for the seeds… and whether Jack will by coming by anytime soon. Lastly, our tomatoes are the best I have tasted in years. When planning something in May, it is impossible to know what unexpected beauty and delights will occur in June, July, or August… A good lesson. Thanks, Honey.
Poole Party of 5 