So Spring is here, right? Well, the azaleas say yes… maybe?, then some can't quite decide. The camellias cry hold on, not so fast. The weedy crowd says absolutely, let’s get going! Easter lilies are cautiously optimistic. Dogwoods are puzzled, and the Bradford Pear trees are just trying to recover after getting out of control with their early blooming for St. Patrick’s Day. The plant world may have to convene a meeting to figure it all out. There’s a lot of confusion. And that’s understandable. Confusion seems to be where we are right now. Is Covid over? Is there still a supply chain crisis? Will I ever be able to buy a full tank of gas again without a bank loan? Are we really ready for electric cars? Who’s the genius who decided we didn’t need any more computer chips back in 2020? And of all the confusing questions, the really scary one is, what do we do about Russia and Ukraine? The tough thing about being the leader of the free world is that everybody else thinks every problem is the USA’s responsibility. That, of course, is completely unfair, but in all honesty, we could be doing a better job in the leadership department than we are right now. In the White House, as well as Congress, confusion is winning over clarity. Being the leader is tough work, but we took the job way back in 1941 when we bailed Europe out in WW II. There really was no other choice about getting involved then, and there seems to be no other choice now. In 1970, Jerzy Kosinski wrote a novel entitled Being There about a simple gardener, wherein he compared the struggle of the countries of the world to the trials of existence of different plants in a garden. The characteristics of each plant and the challenges of the seasons sort of mirror what we see in the world today. Whether it's a garden or a nation or a simple idea, anything that is neglected or treated carelessly, will struggle and often die. But if it gets a chance to thrive, some careful cultivation, trust in the goodness of nature, and a little help from above, the result will always be a peaceful, productive garden. Spring is coming. So have a little faith in this big garden we live in. Give it a few more sunny days. The confusion will clear up, and we will see once again what amazing things The Gardener can do.
