The plot (as in plotline, not garden plot) is the general premise of your garden’s story, the structure that outlines the story’s arc and timeline from beginning to middle to end. You may also want to describe the way it looked in the past, especially if you’re writing a garden history, but you definitely want to describe how you hope the setting will change as your story progresses. The setting, of course, is the place where your story occurs, so describe your garden as it exists in the present - its size, terrain, plants, soils, landmarks, temperature ranges, lighting, view and the like. The humans, wildlife, pets, plants and even the structures, physical features or microclimates that inhabit or impact your garden will be your story’s heroes, villains or bit players. Start by making a list of all the characters that play a role in your garden. With that in mind, here’s an idea to get this new gardening year (and decade) off to a storied start: Be the author of your garden’s story, even if it’s just one chapter in a never-ending story.Īnd whether your garden’s story is rooted in just-the-facts history or in imagination-run-wild whimsy, you can create or influence its arc by focusing on three essential story-crafting elements: character, setting and plot. No experience could have taught me more about grief or flowers, about achieving survival by going, your fingers in the ground, the limit of physical exhaustion.” As Eudora Welty once said, “Gardening is akin to writing stories. I’m not alone is noticing this connection, either. No matter its age, size, style or purpose, every garden has a backstory, and, regardless of their horticultural skills or intentions, everyone who tends a garden shapes its narrative. I know this because, after more than four decades of tinkering in and writing about gardens, I have observed one universal truth: Gardens don’t just grow plants, they grow stories. Each gardener helps write that story, one chapter at a time.
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