The Beauty of Gardening

By Jens Molbak
For The Woodinville Weekly, August 2009

When I grew up in Woodinville and helped in my parents’ greenhouse business, gardening was more about work, and less about art or passion

Since coming back to the family business in 2001, I’ve personally discovered the joys of gardens and gardening and come to believe that it is an important part of our lives.

I’ve learned that what you see through your kitchen window in the morning helps set your mood for the day. And walking through an inviting garden in the evening is a great way to be welcomed home. My favorite time, though, is just being outside in the garden with friends and family. Blair, my wife, has been a life long gardener and she loves to cut flowers to bring elements of the garden inside our home. A few simple stems in a vase can transform a room. Gardens really make a daily difference in our lives. Just imagine what your home would look like if it were surrounded by bare dirt and the importance of gardens becomes clear.

Gardens don’t just feed the soul; they can also contribute greatly to health and wellness. Gardening is great exercise. And fresh-from-the-garden veggies and herbs create tasty and nutritious food. The interest in farmers’ markets and organic food is growing fast and there is nothing more local than your own back yard garden.

I am not alone in my growing love of gardens. Many people are discovering and embracing gardening as part of their personal approach to living. They want to enjoy their time at home more and create better outdoor spaces.

I like to think about gardening as building a four-dimensional work of art. It can be fun to play with colors, shapes and textures in the spaces around your home. There are no concrete rules of gardening and I enjoy trying new things and am learning all the time. The special fourth dimension of gardening is the aspect of time. Gardens can bring joy and beauty in every month of the year and they are constantly changing. I encourage all gardeners, beginners and experts alike, to experiment and wait to see how your creations unfold throughout the year. Many of my ideas don’t work out quite like I’d originally planned. No problem, though, as making adjustments along the way is part of the process.

Summer is a particularly good time to stand back and take stock of how your garden looks and see what’s working and what’s not. For instance, right now parts of my garden look great and others have some noticeable holes and weak spots. I’ll identify and fill those places that need more pop or niches where adding a late-summer-flowering plant can make an existing grouping stand out even more.

A key summer lesson I’ve learned during my years as a home gardener is about watering. There is indeed a “right” way to water. Water slowly, for longer periods and less frequently to encourage roots to stretch deeper. During a hot August, a good soaker hose is your garden’s best friend. Water lawns deeply or let them go dormant and then water only once a month until the rains start. You’ll see the benefits of watering wisely in healthier, hardier plants.

A favorite late summer activity in our garden is harvesting and eating homegrown summer produce. But did you know that as you begin to harvest summer veggies, it is time to start planting cool weather vegetables such as beets, turnips and Swiss chard for fall and winter harvesting? You can be enjoying fresh garden produce for months to come.

And while you are planning ahead, late August is the perfect time to plant those spring-blooming bulbs. It is a terrific treat to see these early harbingers of spring pop up in your garden – almost as if by magic.

Every season I continue to learn more about the joys of gardens and gardening. And I always look forward to what the next season might bring. If you’d like to share the lessons you’ve learned from your garden, I’d be happy to hear from you. My contact information follows.

Jens Molbak runs Molbak’s in Woodinville with his wife, Blair. He can be reached at jmolbak@molbaks.com. More information on gardening is at www.molbaks.com