Gardening as a metaphor for writing … and life
I was happy when Thomas Rainer recently confessed that he sucks at planting. Because if he, a professional landscape designer, sucks at planting, I can probably forgive myself the mistakes I make every time I pick up my spade.
It’s occurred to me that gardening is a metaphor for writing. I begin by sketching things out, sometimes on paper but more often on the ground.
Even my most meticulous planting plans result in what Anne Lamott calls a “shitty first draft.” With my writing, I make sure no one reads my embarrassing early attempts, but with the garden, all messes, mistakes, and experiments are on display.
No one will ever accuse me of manicured beds.
An early draft of the bed I call the Oudolf.
Just as I do with drafts of my writing, I edit the garden. Neurotically.
Invariably, the most beautiful moments result when I give up trying to control every colour association, every leaf spurt, and just enjoy the dance with my unseen partner.
I planted the blue/purple salvia, but the white yarrow is a native that volunteered, and the contrast was gorgeous.
Thomas Rainer reminds me that gardening is also a metaphor for life. In the garden, as in writing, as in life, failure isn’t something to avoid or fear, but to embrace. Rainer writes:
“I wish you many, many failures. I wish you grandiose plans that fizzle into hair-pulling messes, bold gestures that melt into formless puddles, and spectacular fireworks that fail to ignite. I wish you fail often and fail fast. Because out of [these failures] comes courage. And out of courage comes good design.”
One Response to “Gardening as a metaphor for writing … and life”
So true, this. All that editing, pruning, the reluctant digging out of great clumps that miraculously makes everything that remains so much better…