Monthly Archives: September 2012

Yesterday morning I ventured outside to do what couldn’t be ignored any longer.  The Bamboo and Butterfly Ginger that I planted just a year ago had flourished during this hot, wet summer.  Their bushy branches had encroached on patios and pathways, creating a jungle-like environment that was rather pleasant, but certainly not conducive to actually using those outdoor spaces.

With my first step out the door I noticed the change in the weather. The hint of a cool-ish breeze ruffled the leaves above my head, renewing my faith that surely summer would break sometime soon, and make way for the glorious season that Floridians anxiously await.

As I worked on the Butterfly Ginger, it began to rain; not a pounding rain laced with thunder and lightening, but a gentle rain that cooled me and washed away the sweat of hard work.  The birds chirped happily overhead, and I decided that if they weren’t bothered by the rain, neither was I.  My reward cutting back the Butterfly Ginger was the heady scent of ginger root wafting on the breeze.  Lovely.

Next, I tackled the big Graceful Bamboos. As I pulled 10 to 20-foot Bamboo canes away from the mother plant, it suddenly occurred to me that I wasn’t just cutting back, I was harvesting.  Bamboo canes are so strong and so useful, and here I was creating a large pile of them in my backyard.  This realization completely shifted my perspective on the work at hand.

Although I was a bit shaky from the exertion, I decided to power on and trim up the Dwarf Buddha Belly Bamboo. This luscious plant gets its name from the bubble shapes on its canes, which look like Buddhas in profile.  The effect is lost when the plant gets overgrown with foliage covering up those beautiful bulgy canes.  This job offered a big payoff for a small amount of effort.

Working in the yard offers such great rewards for me.  It makes me feel strong and productive in a way that nothing else does.  Working in the yard frees my mind to wander and sometimes even think deeply on what it means to plant and harvest.