The Yin and Yang of Yardwork

Last week a strong north wind blew leaves from all over the neighborhood into our yard. And so I’m raking them up today, loading them into the wheelbarrow, and piling them into the garden.

Recently I’ve been struck by the tensions of yard and garden work, the apparent contradictions. Today I water and fertilize this tree; tomorrow I prune it. Today I carefully plant the plants I like; tomorrow I violently uproot the ones I don’t. I kill myself getting the grass to grow healthy and strong, so I can cut it more frequently and wonder what to do with all the clippings.

I recall a monologue by Garrison Keillor about dandelions. After describing his failed efforts to control them (coupled with trouble nurturing domesticated flowers), he concludes: “I’ve started to wonder if we’re on the wrong side.”

Dandelions excepted, there’s a rough kind of balance there, don’t you think? The push and pull, the yin and yang of yard and garden. With some hard work and patience it all kind of balances out in the end. Harmony ... or at least a nervous truce between warring sides, which brings me back to my neighbors’ leaves.

I’m not a big fan of raking, generally, or of stuff blown in from neighboring yards, but my yard is new and leaves are few, and fallen leaves make a good mulch that offers nitrogen and other essential nutrients for next year’s vegetable garden. Besides, the wind did half the work, blowing all that nitrogen from the four corners of the neighborhood and piling it up neatly by the front walk … like so much manna, from Heaven. Bring it on.

(Photo courtesy of calderbrun on Flickr: available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/78709256@N00/393329145/.)