| One thing I've noticed in recent years (and others have | | | | official visiting weed-puller or bug-stomper. Remember |
| also mentioned in passing) is that there seems to be | | | | that one person's "trash" may be another's "treasure." |
| more garden visitors who are "out of sorts" and, at | | | | Who knows...maybe they wanted that weed |
| times, downright disrespectful and thoughtless. I | | | | ("wildflower"?) there, and perhaps that squashed insect |
| recently overheard a couple of avid gardeners remark | | | | was a valuable, beneficial type, nurtured and protected |
| that if they see another tumultuous season like this | | | | by its host. . .the now-offended resident |
| one, they'll soon be ex-gardeners! One even wished | | | | gardener.Maintain an up-beat, positive, giving, sharing, |
| she'd designed a "secret" garden into her landscape, | | | | and pleasant attitude while visiting another's garden. |
| set aside only for her and close, trusted friends.True, | | | | Even if you see all sorts of terrible things (mistakes, |
| times like these do seem to fray fragile nerves and stir | | | | misadventures, unfinished tasks, weeds, bugs, diseases, |
| up some deep frustrations. Polite society, however, | | | | stones, snaggly trees and shrubs, pet residues, |
| clearly requires garden visitors -- out of sorts or not -- | | | | scattered tools and hoses, odors, etc.), try hard to put |
| to observe a sort of "code" to at least attempt to | | | | a positive spin on even the worst of circumstances. |
| avoid trampling on another's sensitivities or property | | | | Avoid insensitive remarks like "Oh, I see you have |
| rights. Here are a few suggestions to make your visit | | | | [some plant or other]; I have one, too, but mine grows |
| to someone else's garden -- private or public -- more | | | | taller and has better looking leaves and prettier |
| pleasant, informative, and relaxing while, at the same | | | | flowers." Another real "killer" goes something like, |
| time, avoiding the ire of its gardener or manager.For | | | | "Yeah...a hosta...I've got 25 different varieties in my |
| parents with youngsters in tow, one of the kindest | | | | garden!"Finally, for you tobacco users, please don't |
| things you can do is to control your little ones (and | | | | grind out cigarette butts or spit tobacco juice in others' |
| some which aren't so little, as well). Filled with energy | | | | gardens...and never light up a cigar there, either! Most |
| and exuberance, youngsters can do a great deal of | | | | avid gardeners treasure the sanctity, peacefulness |
| damage as they race around. Advise them to stay on | | | | and, hopefully, the freshness and purity of air in their |
| paths; forbid rock-throwing, flower-picking, and | | | | garden retreats. Nothing invades that refreshing, |
| branch-tugging; and assist them in keeping their | | | | rejuvenating, and clean micro-environment like the |
| sometimes cheeky remarks to themselves.Domestic | | | | pervasive smell of tobacco smoke -- especially the |
| pets of visitors have no place wandering around in | | | | disagreeable odor of a smoldering cigar. Few things |
| someone else's garden. Yes, there may be a resident | | | | are less pleasant to police up than someone else's |
| pooch or cat, but that's never a reason to turn your | | | | stomped-in cigar or cigarette butt.And while on the |
| pet -- even cute little "lap-dogs" -- loose to rip and tear, | | | | subject, "field-stripping" a cigarette (an old military trick |
| dig and chew, or otherwise "soil" the garden | | | | intended to avoid detection by the enemy -- or the drill |
| environment with their wastes. Leaving Fido (or even | | | | instructor in boot-camp) is just as bad, if not worse. |
| worse, big-footed Boomer) home is always the safest | | | | Not too many people realize that virtually every shred |
| bet. Your friends will most certainly appreciate the | | | | of processed tobacco is a potential source of a |
| kindness. . .not to mention your deeply appreciated | | | | deadly agricultural organism known as TSWV (tomato |
| respect for their "turf."Stepping off obvious paths to go | | | | spotted wilt virus). The malady can wreak havoc |
| plodding around in the cultivated soil of a friend's | | | | among many different varieties in a once-healthy |
| garden is definitely out! You may do that in your own | | | | garden, causing stunting of plants and a discolored |
| garden, but it's not going to be appreciated by most of | | | | mosaic pattern on the leaves, accompanied by |
| your friends...and, if you persist, may get you an | | | | unsightly leaf distortion (puckering). Infected plants must |
| invitation to leave. (Much of this annoying and now | | | | be destroyed -- there is no cure, only prevention. So, if |
| near-universal habit of modern gardeners originated | | | | you're a smoker, the next time you visit a friend's (or |
| with the advent of television. Turn on any gardening | | | | public) garden, whip out a stick of chewing gum...leave |
| program and see "experts" in total disregard for the | | | | the smokes in your pocket.It all boils down to this: treat |
| structure of soil as they tromp straight into a cultivated | | | | others, their gardens -- and their gardening efforts -- |
| bed to achieve a better camera angle.)Don't pick | | | | with the same kind of respect, gentle honesty, and |
| flowers, take seeds, or snip or pinch cuttings unless | | | | caring with which you'd like to be treated. Where have |
| you've been invited to. Yes, I've seen it in my garden | | | | I heard that before?Fred Davis is a Master Gardener, |
| and the gardens of others. Often, offenders will glance | | | | Master Composter, correspondent, lecturer, co-owner |
| around first to see if they're being observed; then snip! | | | | operator of a popular 18-year-old perennial nursery in |
| or snatch!, and into a pocket or purse it goes. | | | | south-central Maine, and author of "Keys To The |
| Seed-snatchers, blossom-pickers, and cutting-crooks | | | | Garden Gate...Saying Some Things That Need To Be |
| are rarely invited back.Don't appoint yourself as the | | | | Said. |