The main purpose of a garden is to give its owner the best and highest kind of earthly pleasure. - Gertrude Jekyll
I create a garden for its beauty, for its life force and for its inspiration. When I am in my garden, I am immersed in nature at its best, with healthy vegetables, colorful plants and busy pollinators. The many living plants and animals in the small ecosystem that I have created inspire me.
I can enjoy my garden almost year-round in the mild climate of Western North Carolina, but especially in August, when all the previous months' work and growth culminate in an impressive display of flowers and vegetables. As the warm weather progresses, my harvest is bountiful, starting with Sugar Snap Peas. The small tender pods of early May turn into the larger pods of summer, filled with sweetness. As I open each pod, I enjoy looking at the delicious peas inside.
In July, zucchini and summer squash produce exquisite large yellow blossoms that attract many bees. Later in the month, fruit grows out of these blossoms, sometimes too much of it. It is important to check these plants regularly so the squashes don't become too large, as their growth can be rapid in the summer heat.
Garden Fragrances
Gardens don't just provide pleasure for the eyes, but also for the nose, with many different fragrances. One scent I love is that of tomatoes. When I come close to a tomato plant on a warm summer day, I can smell its strong fragrance. The basil seedlings that I planted in the spring are usually three feet tall by August with dozens of large, fragrant leaves. Other herbs, such as dill, cilantro, and rosemary also produce a pleasing fragrance.
Of course, gardens give us many different tastes to enjoy. The Sungold cherry tomato is one of the tastiest. Other tomatoes I enjoy are the ones bred for the climate in Western North Carolina such as Mountain Pride, Mountain Fresh, Mountain Merit and Mountain Majesty.
Pollinator Garden
By August, my tithonia sunflowers are over six feet tall and covered in bright orange blossoms, which means they are covered in butterflies. Colorful zinnias also attract pollinators with their large blooms. Many varieties of sunflowers begin blooming in August. All these flowers attract Monarch, Swallowtail and Fritillary butterflies, as well as a variety of bees.
Gardens inspire me with their constant change and their natural cycles of growth and decay. The cycle begins in the spring with seeds and small seedlings, and progresses until growth ends in the fall with a killing frost.
Once I start a garden, I feel a responsibility to be a good steward, so I tend the garden frequently to bring out the best in the plants. It is enjoyable to have a vision for a garden, execute that vision and then watch the plants grow. This process is always satisfying, with great rewards of beautiful plants, tasty food and a serene environment.
Judith Canty Graves is an award-winning columnist with a home garden in Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily. This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville magazine.