Have you ever considered yourself to be a rebel? There are many types of rebels. Rebels who go with the flow. Rebels who go against the grain. Are you the type of rebel with the confidence to walk down a dark alley? Or, perhaps you’re a rebel in your field of work, an expert perhaps.
I thought about what kind of rebel I am. For those of you who know me, I am a rebel who has walked on a few different sides of the road, sometimes against the traffic.
What kind of rebel are you? When a board game comes out at a party, are you the one who wants to enforce the rules, play to win? When you must complete a dreaded chore, do you get a thrill from checking it off your list? Do you have a hard time respecting an authority figure who is critical? Or, perhaps, maybe there is an indication of what kind of rebel you are from a childhood photo. Are you smiling, sitting up straight or complaining, “Are you done taking pictures yet?”.
You could say that I would consider myself a garden rebel. In my early days as a garden rebel, I was the one who stood out as a child. I remember one day in kindergarten there was a wild sunflower growing along the fence line. Probably a bird sat on the fence and left a seed at some point. Janet walked up to it and admired it. Gazing at it adoringly, she proclaimed, “Isn’t that so pretty?”. I stood there, looking at the flower, just waiting for her to be done admiring it. Then I picked up a stick and beat it to the ground and squashed it under my foot. At last, a garden rebel I had become.
Simple fact of the matter is that boys and girls are complete opposites. Girls will admire and smell a flower, taking all its beauty in. A boy just wants to squash it with a stick, proud of his accomplishment of power. Could you say both the girl and boy in this scenario are garden rebels? I would.
What kind of garden rebel are you? Hopefully, you’re not like I was in kindergarten. The good news is that I’ve grown out of my old garden rebel ways.
Do you tend to buy a new plant before you buy a new pair of shoes? I do. Is a day of bliss spent puttering in the yard? It is for me. Is a visit to High-Hand Nursery part of your personal stress release? Ladies, would you give up a manicure to dig in the dirt? If that’s the case, then you are a garden rebel.
So, here’s the story of this plant. I first saw it at a nursery in Buellton. It’s a geranium. I was amazed. I went into garden rebel mode and said, “I’ve got to have it. I don’t care.” This geranium is an example of evolution in action. The seeds of this plant originated on the island of Madeira, where Darwin took over and evolved it into its present state, a geranium widely different than the ones we’re familiar with. It thrives mainly in the coastal areas and is cold hardy down to about 25 degrees. It can bloom for 6-9 months if deadheaded correctly and planted just precisely in a nice woodland area of a garden. It’s not too fussy about pH, but does like well drained soil. Here’s what puzzles me.
I took this picture last week during Bloomtastic. It’s a picture of the waterfall outside the front door of the house. For those of you who visited us last weekend, surely you recognize the waterfall. Did you notice something special? Look closer. Focus in on the one thing that doesn’t belong in that picture. Do you see our friend, geranium madarense, growing out the side of a rock. I did and I was amazed. My wish had come true. I finally had my geranium. The funny thing is this plant has never made it’s way to Maple Rock, ever.
Growing out of the side of a rock on the side of the waterfall, thousands of miles from the island from which it originated is the geranium I always wanted.
With my garden rebel in overdrive, the plot of the story thickens even deeper into mystery. You see the only way this plant will grow from year to year is if you harvest the seeds from the flowers and start all over again in perfect conditions. How did it get there? Obviously, it came by seed. Obviously, it came by two ways only; wind or by bird. We will never know, but I can guarantee you this. I have no intention of picking up a stick and beating it to death. My only intention is to admire it, wonder how it got there and be blessed by its presence.
Are you a garden rebel? We are calling all gardeners.
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Wow! Bloomtastic was a great day and for all of you who came, we thank you very much. Mother Nature smiled upon us with beautiful weather, beautiful flowers and, yes, you, the beautiful people.
Well, what’s next at Maple Rock? We are thinking and noodling it over. Here’s what we’re noodling:
- In June, Farm to Fork dinners at Maple Rock
- September Train Days
- Harvest Festival
- Pop-up concerts
So, keep an eye on us. Check our website because these events are going to pop up quick and sell out quick. Information will be available on our website within the coming week.
Thank you for making Bloomtastic a successful time. We hope you enjoyed the gardens at Maple Rock and we hope you will join us for some of our upcoming events. Keep rebelling in the garden.
See you at High-Hand Nursery.
Scott