Sunday, August 9, 2009

My garden reminds me of a Bergman film


Death in The Seventh Seal (1956), directed by Ingmar Bergman

This afternoon I noticed cobwebs on the edges of the incense cedar. Then I saw the weeping cherry had strangely yellow leaves on three branches. As I raked up the dead grass on the back lawn it all seemed too symbolic, and I felt like I was in a Bergman movie full of ominous portent.

Meanwhile, the rest of Nevada County was bursting with ripe peaches and brilliant sunflowers.

I may be half-Scandinavian, but I want to ditch gloomy Bergman and find a new director. My garden could use a lively musical number by Busby Berkely.

What's the opening scene in your garden right now? Who would direct your garden film this summer?

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24 comments:

Jan said...

Ahh, don't feel badly--it happens to the best of us (if I can put myself in that category!!). Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it...and for your visit, I am also happy;-) Have a great day and keep up your sense of HUMOR!

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Thanks Jan, Just a little too much memento mori out there right now--unexpected in the sunny weather.

Pomona Belvedere said...

Just look another direction - or read something to distract your mind. Those are my tried-and-true gardening techniques. Steve Snedeker also has some useful lawn-substitute ideas, as well as Blue Planet of course. May I congratulate you on giving up trying to grow something that was never meant to be; discretion is the better part of gardening.

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Pomona, Well, I have been thinking a lot about tulips, and they are certainly a happy distraction, so I'll dig into those bulb catalogs and then consult with you. Thanks for the props on letting the lawn go.

Laura Livengood said...

Oh, I sympathize...last summer at this time my front lawn was deader than dead (on purpose, but still) my front walk was broken up (but not removed) and in general my front yard looked like war-torn Beirut. Very depressing. This year there is a garden, amazingly enough. Gardens happen, especially to gardeners. Have faith! lls

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Laura, A good reminder that I should take some "before" photos--the pics of your garden transition are so great.

Heather said...

The heat of the summer always does that to the garden and my mood. Good luck!

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Heather, And a heat wave has arrived here for a few days. Too bad I don't have some cute goats and chickens like yours to distract me!

Garden Wise Guy said...

You could go with Scorcese or Tarantino and play off the death to lawns approach?

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Billy GWG, Trust a Southern Californian to really see the noir cinematic opportunities here. Scorcese "The Lawn Doesn't Live Here Anymore" or "The Departed Lawn". Tarantino "Turf Fiction" or "Kill the Water Bill".

susan morrison (garden chick) said...

Previously my garden resembled a scene from Rambo - picture out of control jungle. The bright spot was I was happily ignoring the weeds, since in some cases, the weedy areas looked better than the planned ones.

But now my garden is more like the final scene in Grease, where Olivia Newton John gets all tarted up. New tile, new berms, new plants (and of course a new purple wall) are making me happy, if poor, right now. I agree with Laura, it's tough when you are living in the middle of the before picture, but hang in there, you're making the right decision to get rid of the lawn.

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Susan, So, no greenswards from Sense and Sensibility? I'll keep trying to Do the Right Thing.

AJ said...

I think my garden has been directed by Ratotouille or Willard. After I lost my entire spring crop (you know, spinach, lettuce, chard, etc.) I finally got the garden growing-and it's been nice. I've had some corn. But Ratley has eaten more corn than I have. Yes, I do know for sure they're rats, but don't ask me how. Cheer up, Daffodil Planter, it's Fair Week...let's go see what everyone else grew!

Astrid

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Astrid, You've had enough of the rat theme in your vegetable garden this year! The Nevada County Fair sounds like a good antidote to garden angst.

For readers outside the county, the Nevada County Fair is widely-regarded as the prettiest county fair in California. Tall evergreens shade the fairgrounds, the great food stands, and (this year) the Budweiser Clydesdales. Come on up!

Sadge said...

I think my yard is more like a Marx Brothers movie. One guinea hen brought in 3 day-old keets a couple of days ago. The four of them are in the dog run now. She starts calling for her mate, shut up nightly in the chicken coop, at 6 a.m. but he's out running around with another g-hen most of the day.

The ratty, weedy plum tree is dropping splattery fruit faster than we can clean it up. The ground squirrels are stealing my apples right out of the trees; the jays are mocking me from the nice plum trees; the bunnies frolic in the background as lizards form a conga line across the patio.

No corn, beans, tomatoes, or peppers yet, but we are eating plenty of zucchini and cabbages.

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Sadge, Definitely Marx Brothers--but that lizard conga line could be Busby Berkeley? What a wonderful word picture of your garden!

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to fill in the gaps.

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Mother Nature, I need some extras too. I keep firing the weeds and then they show up on the set again a few days later.

Anonymous said...

We got spiders too--and some are huge. I wonder what they have been feeding on. Alfred Hitchcock comes to mind as it gets eerier and eerier. Then there is the bloody remains under the webs. You know---splattered across the siding or window. Gross.

susan morrison said...

I'm baaack! Just tagged you in the Reveal Seven Things Meme - that's what you get for being so witty. Stop by my blog to accept your award.

brooke swaney said...

ahhh bergman. i think a melies garden would be fun...

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Flower Garden Girl, Okay, you've got me. I'll keep Ingmar and be grateful that I don't have Hitch.

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Susan, Thanks so much for tagging me! I'll hop over.

Brooke, I had to go look up Melies but "cinemagician" sounds good to me right now. I could use some time lapse work taking the garden to, well, anywhere!

EB said...

What a gem of a posting - and not just for including me! I strongly recommend you get to see Mottisfont before you find yourself pushing up daisies - not so much for the roses, but the planting generally: colour work, textures, just exquisite. Not just pales pinks and greys etc, but deep plums, mustardy yellows, oranges - foliage, shape and volume - just brilliant. And a beaufitul little river too. I look forward to getting to know the blogs you mention and I'll do my 7 post now! Thank you again.