Josh Todd has a tough job. He is volunteer coordinator for the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and is responsible for keeping over 500 volunteers happy and busy throughout the year. It must be a challenging job but volunteers are essential for keeping the gardens looking beautiful and we’re all grateful to Josh for doing his job with such grace.
I think about Josh, sometimes, when I’m working in my own garden because I, too, deal with a lot of volunteers and coordinating them is sometimes a little overwheming. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) my volunteers are not of the human kind but are the profusion of “volunteer” plants that make it into my garden. From sprouting seedlings to creeping runners, many of the plants in my garden offer new, free plants.
Coordinating all these volunteers takes constant attention. I appreciate the offerings and know that without them, my garden will look a little thin, but gosh! sometimes they just want to take over (I feel for you, Josh.) Deciding what plant is best suited for what job is a juggling act. Some are no brainers. The zinnias that reseeded from last year are welcomed with open arms, even though they are not exactly where I would have wanted them! But who wouldn’t love a zinnia at the edge of the driveway?
It was no surprise that the Malabar spinach, which produced thousands of berries last summer, has reappeared IN MASS this year, most of them downstream from where they were planted. I have pulled most of them up but have left a row (probably way too many) at the edge of the walkway. My plan is to get a short trellis or something for support. In my mind’s eye, it’ll make a charming entry into the garden. Sometimes, though, my mind’s eye and reality don’t exactly look the same.
In the back, I’ve begun to let a few select tree seedlings grow. Knowing the importance of trees to the native wildlife, I’ve decided more trees are better. Oaks, maples, redbud, and tulip poplars seedlings are now three or four feet tall and growing. But I can’t let them all grow or none would receive the space and nutrients to thrive, so I continue to weed out the vast majority.
Some volunteers are so invasive that I get rid of them as soon as I see them, or at least try. Arum, English ivy, vinca, privet…….unfortunately, it’s a long list.
But some volunteers I have to work with and coax along but their contributions are so magnificent that it’s well worth the extra effort. My begonias are an excellent example. I put leaves in water last fall and the stems produced an abundance of roots. This spring, I planted these and by now they are thriving. Okay, they are not technically “volunteers” but they are free plants.
So, here’s to volunteers everywhere – to my friends and co-volunteers at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, to my husband who volunteers for the Red Cross, to all those who spend their time and effort helping other people! But here’s also to the volunteers in my garden which make it a rich and lovely and wonderful place to be.