Paradoxical Wills in the Garden

A garden is a sign of humanity’s impact. One never stumbles upon a garden without the thought: “who did this?” A garden is a choice of a human to place something in a space orchestrated with other living organisms. It is a forest, prairie or jungle that constitutes wild, mass groupings of plantings, but not a garden.

In a garden, there is an expression of continuity, repetition and movement like any great artwork. The lines of the bed are created with intentionality to end one thing and begin another. Each material, dead or alive, is chosen for a purpose and to take on a purpose for the life of a garden. Space must be defined appropriately to communicate tranquility and life while being self-sustaining.

While selecting the living pieces, the creator must know of the strengths and weaknesses of each plant. Cornus kousa will not perform in a zone 7 or higher, so Cornus florida must be chose. In order to transplant the majesty of Quercus virginana, one must dig it in the winter months, or be patient in the summer. Lagerstroemia indica ‘Snow Dazzle’ is prone to aphid problems so ants must be encouraged to live in the garden to feed on the aphids. If Equisetum is used, barriers must be in place to control its invasive nature. There must be order in order for the garden to function as one masterpiece designed by the creator.

This order is thwarted most in part by weeds. Weeds are simply defined as a plant misplaced, in which constant care will deter this. It is an ongoing vocation of problem solving to rid the garden of disorder, but determination, knowledge and wisdom will triumph. Care also is defined as pruning and training of the plant in the garden. Limbs break and die. Certain branching patterns are harmful to the plant. Fruit must be picked before rotting. All of this the gardener must know and be proactive in dealing with to deter the garden from greater problems.

The gardener is conductor of the living expression. Training the plants to his will, the gardener creates a visual expression of his life. Weeds are controlled or rid completely by the garden with the use of his knowledge. Plants are glorified because they have been selected and placed in a location where they will thrive. The garden slowly shows its master’s brilliance for years and centuries to come. It is an amalgam of poetry, art, power, knowledge, science and vision. A great garden is the expression of its great creator.

However, a paradox does not exist in the visual nature of the garden, but what allows the visual nature to exist. The gardener is in control of a vast amount, except life itself. He cannot give life to the garden, but only create with the life he has been given.