I have a confession to make. There are parts of my garden at Maple Rock that I have not walked for over a year. For all of you hardcore gardeners out there I am sure you would consider this a crime. Let me explain.

I’m a perfectionist. When I see something in the garden that is not absolutely perfect it goes onto “the list” in my brain.

If you’re a plant freak like me, then i’m sure you can relate. For me, when I walk my garden the list just grows like a plant taking root. So I suppose, subconsciously, by not walking my garden I’m trying to control “the list” and limit the stress and pressure created by it.

The other day I was asked if I would take a walk in the garden. My response, was a simple “I don’t want to.” As I looked at the face of bewilderment I thought I would try to explain. I tried to articulate the best I could, that when I walk the garden, all I see are flaws and that pressure just builds in my head. “The list” keeps growing. “Can’t you just walk the garden and appreciate it for what it is?” I said “I couldn’t.” So after a brief moment of silence I finally said “I will take a walk.” I am not going to lie, we headed down the driveway which I thought, was the safest direction to go. I was trying to avoid adding to “the list” and the pressure that it creates in my head.

Have you ever walked your garden with a simple goal of just enjoying it? Only to have a list of things you have to do once you have left it? Do we always have to have things so perfect and in its place, that if its not it paralyzes us and dictates the direction we go?

As we set out on our walk, I thought why am I looking for the imperfections and all the things wrong. Weeds, storm damage, a dead plant. I decided to make a concerted effort to look beyond “the list” and set out to discover the perfect imperfections of nature.

Do we have to be so focused on a perfect lawn or is it ok to let a flowering ground cover naturally migrate and smile back? This outcome was not intentional by me but it was intentional by natures standards. At the end of the day can we really control what nature does and the decisions it makes for itself? When nature decides to be prefect for itself, should this stress us out?

12 days of lights, shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Starting Thursday November 30th Join us for 12 nights of lights in the Nursery. Grab your favorite beverage in the cafe or brewery and stroll the nursery fully covered with holiday lights 5:00-9:00pm every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until December 23rd.

High-Hand Cafe is offering a limited dinner menu of wood-fired pizzas, calzones (for kids), and salad. Reservations for up to 8 guests can be made online here, limited walk-ins available. Seating is from 5:00pm-8:30pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Full lunch and brunch service also available during normal operating hours.

The shops in the historic High-Hand fruit packing sheds will be open until 8:00pm. Be sure to visit the High-Hand Mercantile, High-Hand Olive Oil Shop, and The High-Hand Art Gallery to restock on your favorites or to share with others.

High-Hand Brewery is open until 9:00pm offering delicious food, and great craft beer paired with live entertainment on The Stage. No reservations.

Does a storm damage path have to take away from the majesty of sun kissed redwoods.

As we continued to walk through the garden these moments were actually redefining the list in my head. Redefining how the list affected me

Shame on me for not having faith in the plants that were left to survive with very little attention.

This ground cover Japanese Maple planted 10+ years ago stopped me in my tracks. I have not touched or pruned this plant or thought about it for that matter for almost 10 years. Yet, it rewarded me with its architecture.

If we had not got up at that moment to walk the garden, would we have missed out on natures colorful beauty?

But do you want to know what my biggest regret in this journey was?

Not taking this walk sooner.

My biggest regret was not being there earlier to see what color the flower was on this Calla Lilly growing in the middle of the apple orchard. Of all the things we experienced on our walk in the garden, this Calla Lilly left me with the biggest question marks. How did you get here, how did you survive here so long not noticed, and why did you chose this moment to grow and smile back?

“The list” in my head has been redefined. Its less of a stress now and more of an appreciation for things that are resilient, majestic, beautiful, and peaceful.

Take a walk in your garden and redefine what “the list” means to you. Take in all that is perfectly imperfect.

See you at High-Hand,

Scott

P.S.

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