According to his website, Charles Goodrich supported his poetry and other writings with a 25-year career as a professional gardener in Corvallis, Oregon. “Going to Seed” is a fine example of his avocation. Reading through his selection of brief essays, organized by seasons, I’m keenly reminded of the many forms of life we can observe in our gardens. I was struck by this quotation from a selection by Goodrich titled “The Master.”
“It’s hard to take this bumblebee seriously, with his stubby wings, pudgy thorax, geodesic eyes. When he lifts his ponderous body in flight, he fudges several laws of aerodynamics. If this is how plants get pollinated, it’s a wonder the planet survives. Weird, how evolution flirts with absurdity.”
Excerpted from the Winter 2017 Arboretum Bulletin.