Our next door neighbor is a gardener with unique skills. The diverse variety of plants and vegetables he grows each year thrive from early Spring until first frost. His blueberry bushes are thick and tall. The same can be said for his pear trees. Unlike most home gardeners he goes way beyond tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and other common vegetables for his annual harvest. How many people, for example, would grow Purple Hyacinth Beans (below) … the seeds being toxic if not cooked properly. How many would grow a special variety of hot peppers (above) to augment other spices and herbs that serve as “fillers” in and around other plants.
(Photos made with Fujifilm X-T100 camera with 50mm f/2 lens.)
He is a natural gardener. No chemical fertilizers. No pesticides. He preserves much of what he grows, to provide “goodness” through the winter. One might say he’s a perfect gardener. Except for one minor fault. He never discards anything. Thus, his garden area will never win an award for order and neatness. I submit the following three compositions.
The subject of this post came to me as I was wandering around his back yard, looking for interesting compositions. He has given me permission to make photos at will around his house and garden area. I think he’s actually happy I have an interest in what he’s doing. I note he is a retired, small town North Carolina lawyer. He is also a world traveler who will pick up and fly to Europe in a heartbeat. He favors the Mediterranean region. and has been there many times. He’s told me how much he enjoys the variety of unique garden crops grown there.
So, that’s my neighbor. I could not ask for a better, or nicer, person to live next door to. However, it would be nice if he were to throw away some of his “collectibles” distributed liberally around his yard. I know he won’t because it’s not in his DNA to waste anything. And that’s OK.
Sharing My Joy 