Anticipating Spring During the Rainy Days

By Dan Shook, Garden Manager

Caroline will come into my office and tell me that I need to write an article for the newsletter when the garden speaks to me and then waits patiently for a month for the whisperings. I am watching another day of rain and battling a sun deficit that is nourishing the garden but not my emotional soul. I had a short conversation with one of my grandchildren and he asked when it will dry out because he has not been outside for recess in a couple of weeks. A social media post forwarded by Kristin shared a comment about whether fish in an aquarium feel imprisoned. The comment further stated that it would be cruel if we did that to ourselves. Certainly, we wouldn’t do that. Or would we? I just finished a book that contained the line, “…as we speed across the open landscape in our capsules,” perhaps heading to a meeting inside walls, under artificial lighting.

Why do we love and support a garden in a small town when the world has so many issues that seem so important? Research is teaching us that we are drifting away from the natural world to our peril. Spring at Hatcher Garden will bring in a new nursery and host hundreds of children from schools, families, people and animals of all parts of our community.

I was asked why I love landscaping and my answer was that in a world where so much is destroyed in our lives, I like to think that someone needs to put things back together. Hatcher Garden brings the community we serve together in a grounded place. It supports the spirit of a child who wants desperately to go outside and play. Support this wonderful mission because you want to but also visit this special garden because, well, you need to.