Ready for My Close-Up
Imagine all the ways you can transform your garden, then go get drunk
(Jan. 22, 2009) On most days, the only way I get through my life is by reminding myself that it’s okay to have very relaxed standards about pretty much everything. The whole house needs to be vacuumed, but it’s not as if Good Housekeeping is coming over to do an inspection later this afternoon, and besides, nobody ever died wishing they’d spent more time running the vacuum cleaner. So that can wait.
I spend my days in grubby jeans and oversized sweatshirts that conceal several layers of T-shirts and, on some days, flannel pajamas. But then again, Vanity Fair is not likely to show up around lunchtime for a portrait. So I’m okay for another day.
Naturally, I use this approach in the garden as well. The oxalis and wild onions are coming up as they do every winter; several overgrown shrubs are in desperate need of a good whacking; and the latest round of transplanting and dividing has been postponed because we haven’t had the rain that makes transplanting such an easy job. (Not that I’m complaining about the sunshine. Oh, no.) But who cares? It’s not as if Sunset is sending a photographer over.
Except they are. This week.
This is not really as big a deal as it sounds. I wrote a little essay for their April issue, and they want a little picture of me holding some flowers. When they first told me that they wanted to send a photographer over to get that picture, I didn’t even think about the condition of my garden. We were only talking about a head shot, a few open blooms, and some kind of blurry generic background. No problem.
But then, questions were asked.
Could I send a few snapshots of my garden for the photographer to consider? Is there easy access to an electrical outlet for additional outdoor lighting? Not to worry; it is, of course, understood that the garden is out of season.
Yeah, my garden is more than out of season. It’s out of sorts, out of pocket, out of resources, out of time and terribly understaffed. It is only remotely Sunset-worthy for a few heady weeks in June, when everything blooms at once in a crazy cacophony of color that could charitably be described with remarks like, “Well, it certainly has a lot of personality.”
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Today
Winter Classic Table Tennis Tournament
sports / 11:30 a.m. Arcata Community Center, 321 Community Parkway. Compete in 12 and under, beginners, intermediate, advanced or seniors groupings. Prizes for winners. $10/$5 kids 12 and under. 601-5447.
Audubon Society Field Trip
outdoors / 9 a.m. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 1020 Ranch Road, Loleta. Meet at Refuge Visitor Center off Hookton Road. Leisurely, two- to three-hour trip intended for people wanting to learn birds of Humboldt Bay area. 822-3613.
Open Celtic Music Session
music / 3 p.m. Cafe Veritas/Mosgo's, 180 Westwood Center, Arcata. Informal monthly gathering of musicians playing Irish and other Celtic music. Hosted by Seabury Gould. seaburygould.com. 845-8167.
Nonviolence Action Camp
etc. / 10 a.m. Chinmaya Mission near Piercy. Weekend-long direct action orientation features workshops, role playing, seminars, ceremonies and field trips. Bring food, bedding, warm clothes, signs, banners, bikes, drums, acoustic instruments. Pre-register. saverichardsongrove.org. 932-5898.
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TWO Comments
Comment / By Amy / Feb. 6, 2009, 12:10 a.m.
This reminds me of “From the Ground Up” when you frantically planted pansies your already well tended garden in anticipation of a friends arrival. I totally understand the feeling.
Comment / By Carol Davis / Feb. 8, 2009, 6:25 p.m.
Amy, My friend, Erin-from-Napa, sent me the link to your articles AND what a great discovery. Love this one in anticipation of Sunset coming to photograph your winter garden. Funny, full of great advice for planting, as well as getting one’s mind into the worry-free state. I love my garden here in downtown Sonoma (put in a water-wise, mini-Petanque court 2 years ago which seems to help pull things together.) Love your idea of the tall grass with a “crisp walkway” running through it! I’d like to read anything you’ve written about choosing grasses. (January Sunset mentions creeping red fescue as being very care-free??)