Sunday, June 12, 2011

Pruning--Inside and Out

I need to reduce my iris clumps by half now that they've finished blooming. The mature garden is an overgrown garden. Perennials grow into each other--a look that i like, although well-separated, well-defined clumps seem to be the style nowadays.

The perennial gardener is forever busy dividing these various overgrown colonies. I want to keep 1/3 of the pulmonaria near the terrace and give the other 2/3 away.

The stuff inside our houses accumulates as well, and it takes on-going intention and effort to reduce clothes, clutter, and collections. "Keep pruning" is my motto, although the other person in my house isn't as focused on this as i am.

We reduce our possessions--flowers, vegetables, or paraphernalia by offering them for re-use. Flowers to other gardeners. Vegetables to neighbors or the community or church food shelf . Pass along paraphernalia at a yard sale or give it to a thrift shop (i.e., Goodwill) or to the homeless shelter (e.g., toiletries from hotels). I send the really low-quality junk to the Swap Program at the landfill because i know Mr. & Ms. Fix-It come there as well as people on fixed incomes. The Swap Program keeps tons of stuff OUT of the landfill.

In these ways we practice generosity--toward others and toward the earth.

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