Madeleine Wilde was the author of a gardening column in Seattle’s “Queen Anne & Magnolia News” that ran for over 20 years. Near the end of her life in 2018, she asked her publisher, Mike Dillon, to compile and edit those columns into a book. “Notes from the Garden” has recently been published, a treasure to be cherished by all local gardeners.
Wilde’s husband, David Streatfield, professor emeritus in Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington, provides a forward that describes the structure and history of their shared garden. He notes the significant trees and garden places, but also portrays the emotional space their garden provided. It was a sanctuary. It was also a place of remembrances, including plantings that were gifts from her parents, memorials to beloved family cats, or evoke places enjoyed on their travels together. According to her husband, this was also where Wilde “contemplated the issues she wrote about. These ranged from philosophical musings to seemingly mundane garden management issues.”
These mundane issues are typically very practical advice. I learned that re-planting annual nasturtiums in the mid-summer as a way to eliminate an infestation of black aphids. To enjoy early spring ephemerals, bring them inside, washing off bulbs, roots, and all. This extends the life of the flowers with the added bonus the plant can be restored to the garden without harm, allowing the leaves to naturally mature. I noted that bulbs, especially those that are spring blooming, are a frequent component of these essays, with several columns providing guidance for the heady rush of shopping for the best selections before planting in the fall.
As I read Wilde’s articles, in my head I was responding to her ideas as I would with any friend who is also a keen gardener. Most often, this was agreement over shared experiences. Sometimes, I felt the need to disagree, but I might do that with any friend I trusted not to take offense. Throughout, it was a healthy dialog, very much alive and vibrant.
Spring is celebrated for its exuberance, but this is not always a good thing. “The brilliant dandelions appear to double in numbers and showiness every hour. The chickweed mats ooze across the terrain, while that perky pest, named shotweed, seems to be in fast-forward on its second go-round…All dedicated gardeners have their special choice of vigorous thugs to conquer. The ridiculous absurdity is that each year we think we can control all this extravagantly beautiful spring growth. I try to stay amused.”
Excerpted from the Spring 2022 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin