GBMD - The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


I hope Jared doesn't mind I've revealed the poem he chose for me in Anna's Gardening by Letter project. It's such a thoughtful thing to do and a gift I've not received before. Robert Frost's poems are amongst the first I can remember hearing and reading at school, so it's a good choice. They're such evocative pieces and never fail to conjure images in my head. This poem is particularly apt for now as I'm facing choices - all good I hasten to add. As always, the choice will make a difference and who knows whether it's the right one until the road has been taken and lived a little?

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day is hosted by Carolyn Choi at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.

Comments

  1. The bike shed1 October 2009 at 11:19

    A clever and intelligent poem.

    I hope the road you travel bears fruit - metaphorically speaking at least, though perhaps literally too?

    Mark

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rose1 October 2009 at 13:33

    VP, this is one of my very favorite poems! I remember, too, our 7th grade (I was 12) teacher reading some of Robert Frost's poems to us then, including this one. It struck a nerve with me, and I purchased a paperback anthology of his poems the next year--rather strange for a teenager:) But his poems have always spoken to me, and I often think, as we all do, what would have happened in my life if I'd taken "the other road"? Good luck to you in making the right choices for you; I'm glad both "roads" are positive ones.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sweet Home and Garden Carolina1 October 2009 at 20:07

    VP ,

    Who doesn't love Robert Frost? I recall seeing him for the first time reading the invocation at John Kennedy's inauguration.

    A very though provoking selection for Muse Day.

    I can imagine Autumn in the English countryside. I visited during the middle of summer when all the gardens were in full bloom. The closest I got to your hometown was Bath I reckon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown1 October 2009 at 20:55

    I just love him. I have a book of his poems. it is lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 3c1 October 2009 at 22:07

    Well, that's a bit tantalising, isn't it!

    An elderly friend once said to me, in a world-weary sort of way, that you do everything, then you do it again, then that's it. I'm hoping he's wrong . . . that we can go back to the forks in the path and 'have a go' at the 'other ones' from time to time.

    By the way - you'd think I'd have got used to your 'well, er . . . Chippenham' . . . by now - but I always forget it between visits so it never fails to make me smile as the page opens.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Diana Studer1 October 2009 at 22:21

    Go back to the other path? No. For if you were to go back, that path would no longer be there. But with hindsight you see choices made, that were just life, at the time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anna1 October 2009 at 23:30

    I plumped for a Robert Frost poem too for GBMD :) May whatever road you decide on bode well for you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Shady Gardener2 October 2009 at 00:42

    What a nice post. This is one of my husband's favorite poems. Now that we're in October, it's quite appropriate!! Have a great Autumn season. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. James David2 October 2009 at 04:08

    Hi, just drop by from Blotanical to visiting your lovely blog & post.
    I admire those gardens where a lot of care is to keep them well maintained - I never seen those kind in my place.
    Nice poem too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. VP2 October 2009 at 08:21

    Hello everyone - I'm glad you like the poem. I do like Robert Frost - a writer of what looks like very simple pieces, but so thought provoking when you scratch the surface.

    Rose - my first Robert Frost memories are from 7 years old! One of our teachers was particularly found of poetry and his work :)

    Carolyn - yes and he often has something appropriate for Muse Day

    flowrgirl1 - I must find one for myself too

    3c - tantalising's a good description for quite a bit of Robert Frost's work. I suppose that's one of the reasons why he's such a popular poet - readers stand a good chance of finding something that's meaningful to them

    Elephant's Eye - welcome! That's very good advice. To go back would probably only end in regret. Onwards and upwards!

    Anna - thank you :)

    Shady Gardener - I think Autumn's a little earlier for us this year. We went on a trip out yesterday to the coast, admiring the tree colour as we went :D

    James - welcome and thanks for telling me which road led you here :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nutty Gnome2 October 2009 at 09:08

    Hi VP. I have long loved Robert Frost's poems and this is up there as one of my favourites ... so thank you for sharing it with us all!

    I suspect this one resonates with me because I have a tendency to go for the 'road less travelled' because it looks more interesting ..... and I've so often been proved right!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Carrie2 October 2009 at 13:59

    Frost was a master at touching those places deep inside you that you thought were only yours. I love that poem and it was a joy to read it once again.
    I am yet again at a fork in the road, I have choosen the less travelled path, fingers crosses for us both x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous3 October 2009 at 16:39

    Thank you for the links! I hope your path leads you to happiness. I've always taken the road less traveled and made much of the experience. It is fun and most of the time requires giving of yourself where you didn't know you could. You'll always grow on the road less traveled. Guaranteed.

    I'm so glad you traveled the road to my house ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. VP5 October 2009 at 09:42

    Nutty Gnome - less travelled can be very tempting can't it? I suppose some people wouldn't take it because it might imply 'more difficult' too?

    Carrie - good luck and I hope your journey's a good one :)

    FGG - so am I!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from you and welcome thoughtful conversations :)

Comments aiming to link back and give credence to commercial websites will be composted!

Your essential reads

That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide

Image
Spring is a prime time for blue flowers and my daily walks currently have several from the same plant family* lining the local footpaths. As I walked past the Donkey Field the other day, I overheard some children ask their parents** what the pictured blue flower was. It reminded me it's often mistaken for those other familial blues and this time was no different, as they said it was forget-me-not, instead of the green alkanet it actually is. As well as similar flowers, most of these plants are hairy in their nature, flower around the same time, and favour damp, shady places. Many of them are great for pollinators too, especially bees and this week's warm weather has certainly drawn them to these flowers. This makes it even more likely for these plants to be mistaken for each other and it's a great opportunity for me to put together a spotter's guide in case you find the same flowers on your outings. Staying with green alkanet, the key features which set it
Read more

Jack Go To Bed At Noon

Image
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl
Read more

Salad Days: Mastering Lettuce

Image
I've decided one of my salad challenges for this year is to grow as many lettuce varieties as I can, ready for the publication of my planned Factsheet* later on. The idea is to grow as many of the Tried and Trusted lettuce varieties last year's Salad Challengers helped compile, then provide a visual guide and as many lettuce facts as I can muster. So far I've found around half of those listed**. Then naturally whilst I was out searching - because such is the way with seeds - a number of other varieties found their way home too ;) A couple of weeks ago I sowed 22 varieties***. Just the simple act of sowing them has me intrigued. Why are some lettuce seeds black and others white****? They split into about half white to half black in my sample and as far as I can tell it's nothing to do with whether they're a type of cos, iceberg, or whatever. I sowed them indoors and popped them into a propagator on the windowsill. The soil's too cold outside for sowing
Read more

Red Nose Day - Gardening Jokes Anyone?

Image
The nation goes ever so slightly bonkers on Red Nose Day - hurrah! Previously, it's been very easy to join in - usually via a dress down day at work plus lots of people up to mad things at the station and in the office. Everyone smiling for once - it's a real feel good day and all in a good cause. This year's different - every day's a dress down day for me now - my friend L suggested yesterday that perhaps I could have a dress up day instead and whilst that's a good idea, I confess that ballgowns and tiaras don't really feature in my wardrobe: scruffy student's always been my favourite look. So my Red Nose Day contribution for this year is to compile a list of gardening related jokes. For each one (clean ones only please) you leave in the comments below, I'll make a donation of 50p to the cause. Here's a few for starters just to get you warmed up: Q Why do potatoes make good detectives? A Because they keep their eyes peeled. Q What did the grape
Read more

VPs VIPs: Derry Watkins of Special Plants

Image
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Derry Watkins at her home, garden and nursery - the acclaimed Special Plants - just a few miles along the road from me. I first met Derry at one of her open garden days last year and was keen to find out more about her wonderful garden and running an independent nursery. She specialises in tender perennials and regularly goes on plant hunting trips to find new treasures, particularly in South Africa. As well as running Special Plants and opening her garden under the NGS scheme , Derry holds day courses at her nursery, hosts Special Tuesdays from April until September, lectures and has written a couple of books. How did you find your way from Connecticut to the UK? I'd started a biodynamic vegetable garden in Connecticut and we used to have people come along at weekends to help out. A particular young man turned up: he returned many times and at the end of the summer I married him. So it was all down to love? Isn't that the
Read more

The Resilient Garden

Image
  Part of Tom Massey's Resilient Garden at RHS Hampton Court I've been pondering VP Gardens a lot lately. Last year's drought conditions set me off initially, then our harsher than usual winter combined with this summer's flip and flop weather means the thinking continues. It's a huge topic which I freely admit I'm struggling to get my head around. Tom Massey's Resilient Garden  at Hampton Court recently  tackled this topic brilliantly and was a timely interlude which gave me much food for thought. There he encapsulated the detailed research he'd found which informed both his show garden and book of the same name. I think it's one of the most important show gardens I've ever seen. It's clear the way I garden needs to change so that I have my own resilient garden. I haven't worked out the exact details yet, but Tom's book plus a couple of others (see below), alongside the rainwater management handout from the show garden's  sponso
Read more

#mygardenrightnow: heading into summer with the Chelsea Fringe

Image
Ahhhhhh, that's better! I love walking through dewy grass in bare feet, not that there's much in the way of grass on my back lawn this weekend. My wild and woolly lawn has morphed into meadow of sorts this month, which even NAH admits looks attractive*. It's also proved a great source for my Flowers for mum project so far, yielding self-sown perennial cornflowers, lamb's ears, and lemon balm in addition to the blooms you can see. These originated from elsewhere in the garden, the ox-eye daisies must have blown in from the A350 nearby. * = he got very stroppy about the weeds aka self-sown foxgloves in the lawn one year, so he's come along a bit since then. Skimble's demanding to say hello to you too. He does enjoy the patio when it warms up. If the embedded video doesn't work try this link instead. The Nectaroscordum are a revelation. I planted the bulbs around 2 years ago, but it's only this year they've bloomed properly. The bee
Read more

Testing Times: Tomatoes

Image
  I've run a couple of tomato trials this year. The first is a revisit of the biochar trial with Oxford University I attempted some years ago (with a different organisation this time), and the second is a trial of a water gadget called Plantsurge which I was given to try at Malvern Spring Show earlier this year. Most of you have probably heard of biochar already and the claim that this inert, carbon-rich material can help soil fertility and plant health. The RHS information in the above link says results can be mixed, with reduced effects found in alkaline soils. This may help to explain the lack of difference I found in my previous trial as VP Gardens is on a lime-rich soil. Plantsurge is a different beast altogether. It's a strong magnet which is attached to a hosepipe as shown in the photo above. It's claimed that it softens water, with the result more like watering with rainwater. The higher nitrogen found in rainwater is thought to be beneficial to plants. Gardener
Read more

Chelsea Fringe 2014: Shows of Hands - Episode I

Image
The gloves NAH used to build the raised bed . The effects are L to R, top to bottom:  Original photo, Warhol, HDR, Green tint, B&W, Posterize, Boost, Cross process and Sepia Welcome to Shows of Hands - my Chelsea Fringe project for 2014! As you can see I've been having a bit of a play around in Pic Monkey for my first contribution. You're welcome to join in between now and 8th June 2014. The idea behind this year's project is to highlight the tool most precious to a gardener: their hands. How do I take part? It's simple. All you need to do is take a photo of hand(s) in a gardening context and then share it via your blog or other social media (such as Twitter or Facebook), then make sure I know you've done so. I've set up Mr Linky below for your blog contributions. The Chelsea Fringe photo on the right sidebar links to this post, so you can easily find it again when you're ready to add your contribution. If you share your photo on Twitter,
Read more

Make Use of Mildew

Image
On my garden patrol this morning I spotted some powdery mildew on a couple of my new Verbena bonariensis plants. I suppose it was almost inevitable as I prefer to grow my plants hard - this means no water for them unless they look absolutely desperate. This approach means plants root themselves more deeply and have a better chance of survival during spells of dry weather like we've had lately. However, it also means I run the risk of problems like today's, especially with any garden newbies planted late in the season. We've had a good drop of rain overnight, so this should help my plants survive. I'll mulch them later today to help lock in the moisture as it's water stress which encourages the mildew to take hold. I've also removed the infected leaves and sprayed the rest with a milky drink.* I'm also pleased to find there's a use for my infected leaves. Oliver Ellingham at Reading University has started a PhD - sponsored by the RHS - researchi
Read more