Art is by Bev Jackson Cotter

Bev Jackson Cotter is a member of The Albert Lea Art Center where the upcoming quilting show will be Aug. 4 to Sept. 14.

I admire gardeners. I admire the creativity, design, knowledge, hard work, dedication, determination, perseverance, joy, color coordinating, understanding of seasonal growth and all of the other traits that make up the gardening artist.

What else can you call someone who dedicates at least seven months of their year to the tedious work of planting, transplanting, weeding and caring for their plants, who clears the ground at the end of the growing season, and then spends the other five months researching other possibilities for the upcoming year?

My old Roget’s Thesaurus, worn and faded, with pages browning around the edges, describes the word artistic as someone who is “talented, accomplished, cultural, beautiful, esthetic, skillful and masterly.” That certainly describes the people whose gardens were on The Albert Lea Art Center-sponsored Art &Garden tour this past week.

The gardens were beautiful, sentimental, neighborly, historic, colorful, creative and fun to meander through. One couldn’t help but admire the people who may not call themselves artists, but certainly fit into that category — as they created the beautiful and unique spaces in their yards.

I don’t know the origin of this statement, but a teacher once stated, “A laborer is someone who works with his hands, a craftsman works with his hands and head, and an artist works with his hands, his head and his heart.”

Doesn’t that also apply to the gardener?

Years ago, when I was so busy with babies in diapers, baking bread and cookies, washing clothes with a Maytag wringer washer and hanging them to dry on outdoor clotheslines, ironing almost everything, cleaning up after an active family, cooking meals from scratch, knitting mittens and sweaters for my boys, sewing clothes for my daughter, participating in PTA and 4-H and church activities, gardening was the furthest thing from my mind.

Yet I had a neighbor who spent the first two hours of her day doing the domestic stuff and then most of the daylight hours in her yard. What was on the bottom of my list was on the top of hers. She told me once that she couldn’t wait, each day, to get out in the yard “to play,” was her description. I didn’t understand it then, but I sure admired her beautiful gardens and landscaping.

Recently I met a woman who lost her son in a tragic accident. She said that she found her peace of mind by working in her yard. The beauty, the fresh air, the color all helped her to deal with the sorrow and anguish of her loss.

I have a granddaughter: a mom who works full-time and is a talented gardener. She actually keeps a growth chart with photos of her flowers and other plantings. She certainly doesn’t get that dedication from me.

I know a couple who enjoy working in the garden together. They both look forward to their time designing, planting and maintaining their yard, and then enjoying a glass of wine while admiring their handiwork.

Several years ago I met a man who once ran a garbage collection service and occasionally found an unusual item that he thought his wife might incorporate into their landscape. They have a most unusual yard — beautiful, creative and fun.

I would like to have a good talk with the deer in the cemetery where my husband’s grave is located. I did not plant beautiful arrangements in his urn for their enjoyment or to satisfy their appetites. After finding his flowers chewed down to little nubs, I have tried lobelias and marigolds for their odors, and even slivers of Irish Spring soap to deter feasting. Someone recently suggested human hair. I think I will give that a try.

I am not a gardener. A few pots on the porch, some hostas around the house and enough tomato plants to satisfy my summer urge for BLTs is about as far as I go, but I do admire the work of those who enjoy the art of gardening.

A special thank you to the Art & Garden Tour gardeners, to the artists whose work complimented the creative atmosphere, and to all of the volunteers who organized and hosted the weekend. And another thank you to those of you who love gardening, and whose hard work and dedication may not be seen by the public, but who do your part in making our world a little more beautiful.