by Connie Oswald Stofko
“Come to the party! Life is a feast,” said an enthusiastic Jack Edson, expressing his outlook on his gardens and his life.
I visited his landscape last year on the Buzz Around Hamburg Garden Walk.
He touched on many topics, including nature, art and philosophy.
As he discussed the mulberry trees in his yard, Edson noted that they have a painterly quality. He pointed out the light and dark of the mulberry leaves, and compared that to the light and deep shade in the Baroque paintings of Caravaggio.
With the mulberry trees, nature is important, too. “There are birds all over the place,” he said. “I made a pie out of the berries two days ago. I’ll see birds in winter.”
An appreciative visitor to Edson’s lush landscape said quietly, “It’s so green and peaceful.” But some people might not appreciate how natural his gardens are.
“I have a high definition of desirable plants,” Edson said. For him, thistle is a desirable plant.
“Bees and hummingbirds love them,” he said, adding that the famed painter Charles E. Burchfield loved thistles, too. Not only does Edson not dig up the thistles, he doesn’t cut them back, either.
“I want plants to look natural,” he said. “Thistles should be eight feet tall. It’s a living thing. Why cut it in half?”
The conversation turned philosophical, with Edson discussing “inscape,” a concept from Gerard Manley Hopkins, a 19th century Jesuit priest and poet. Inscape could be defined as “intrinsic beauty” or as the “inherent nature of a thing.” To Edson, inscape in gardening means letting plants be themselves.
“Learn to love plants and let them grow to be what they want to be,” he said.
In his gardens, birds drop seeds and plants grow. He doesn’t nurture a lawn that’s a monoculture (made of one species of grass); the bit of grass in his landscape is on his paths. His landscape “is very easy maintenance,” Edson said. “There’s not much grass to cut. And ecologically speaking, grass adds nothing to the environment.”
Edson offers this idea: “In our lives, we are given gifts, opportunities and talents. What are you going to do with them? Have everything blacktopped?
“Or would you rather live among living things? Will you engage with the life force and give glory and honor to God?”
Edson can’t imagine gardening any way other than how he does it now.
“I like to march to a different drummer,” Edson said.
“Your garden is your little kingdom, so do what you want. There’s no reason to imitate someone else and do a conventional garden.
“You’re the boss, so have some fun.”
Paige asked for some plant suggestions for her garden. Some favorite plants include Tree peonies, roses_ I have several pink and white roses, rudbeckia for yellow flowers, red trumpet vines, dahlias in pots, red Japanese maples and a dwarf green Japanese maple. Plus annuals, petunias, snapdragons. Enjoy your garden!
Thanks Connie for showing us Jack’s garden! I like how it looks so lush! Thistles are pretty but can take over, I agree on his points about the bees loving them. We all like different gardens and that’s what makes them all so interesting. Happy gardening season everyone.
Thank you for showcasing Jack’s creative, lush garden scape. He’s one of many “think out of the box” gardeners to be featured in this year’s “Buzz around Hamburg!”
Idk. I think all the overgrowth is a little overwhelming. Wouldn’t be for me, but that’s why it’s his.
I would like to know the plants and trees and shrubs that grow in his garden. I need to rethink mine and make changes
What a cool guy! He’s doing what we all should do – let nature take it’s course. Thanks for the article!