A change in mindset

I recently discovered this article tucked into a notebook. I saved it because it was a turning point in my understanding of the relationship between gardener and garden. When I first read it in 2021, I had recently started the horticulture certificate program at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and I was soaking up as much information as I could about plants and gardening. By describing Rebecca McMackin’s approach to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Margaret Roach’s column shifted how I saw the role of plants in public areas and home landscapes.

McMackin questions standard horticultural practices through the lens of their impact on the local ecology. For example, how do fall cutbacks impact bird and insect populations? This introduction to ecological horticulture not only changed how and when I do certain tasks but WHY I garden in general. When I started gardening this way, it became much more meaningful and present focused. I give more thought to what I plant, how I care for them and I spend more time observing. I recently saw a ruby-throated hummingbird in my tiny Brooklyn garden which was pure delight!