A Garden Is.... Poem by Denis Barter

An Acrostic based on the poem "My Garden" written by:
Thomas Edward Brown.1830-1897

A GARDEN is a lovesome thing, God wot!
Rose plot,
Fringed pool,
Fern'd grot—
The veriest school
Of peace; and yet the fool
Contends that God is not—
Not God! in gardens! when the eve is cool?
Nay, but I have a sign;
'Tis very sure God walks in mine.

A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot.

Gardeners work hard for what they've got
And plants need water on days dry and hot.
Removing thick growing weeds is not
Deemed an option, but essential. A lot
Exist because of negligence. Easy to spot:
Not always easy to remove, and the upshot

Is, a lot of valuable plants can be lost.
Such is the resultant and expensive cost.

Allowing weeds to run amok is foolish,

Leaving little room for growing seeds.
Overall, it is not a chore a gardener needs:
Vexatious, but one of those weekly deeds,
Every gardener must carry out. When seeds
Spread from the fast maturing weeds,
Our beds become a wilderness. This speeds
More weed growth, which often exceeds
Every gardener's abilities, who needs

To keep ahead of their rampaging trait.
Hopeless is the gardener who will wait
In vain for weeds to die. Should he procrastinate,
New seedlings will quickly proliferate,
Giving him no time to implement or initiate


Good husbandry practices - nor time to rest.
Obnoxious weeds are persistent - a yearly pest,
Determined to overrun a garden, and the best

Will in the world will not completely prevail
Over them, whilst the hapless gardener will fail
To bring his crops to maturity. An oft heard tale!

Rare is the one who does not love the rose.
Of all the flowers, we may well suppose
Some do not, but should we allow or expose
Empty flower beds: others might well propose

Planting alternatives. A man who digs or hoes
Long tedious hours, in hopes he'll dispose
Of problems finally will, when done, close
The day with satisfaction, and then repose

For an hour of well earned, needed sleep.
Regardless of experience, some will keep
Imaginative garden thoughts, hidden deep.
Nothing rewards us better, than to reap
Garden crops, that to some, seem cheap,
Except the gardener knows he must heap
Due praise on nature, knowing he'd weep

Passionate tears for his labours spent
On wasted efforts, without her consent.
Others may ask and wonder to what extent
Love of gardening was his chosen bent?

Finally, he may relax after hours of toil.
Events such as digging and shifting soil:
Raking, rolling or moving unwanted spoil.
Never ending - or so it seems - garden toil
Does tend to be ongoing, and can embroil

Gardeners in epic tussles with the elements.
Raising crops, is but one of the rudiments,
Of horticulture which provides supplements,
To satisfy our crucial need for nutriments.

To possess such a passion - espouses Life:
Having an active garden - involves Life:
Ergo! A keen gardener embraces Life!


Value life, for it's a one time gift.
Even those lacking vision can get a lift
Rambling through a garden. To drift
Into its appealing ambiance, and shift
Eyes around in respect, we can cast adrift
Set ideas, and become enraptured by a swift
Transient change of mood. A garden is a gift,

Seen by some as a hopeless, impossible dream,
Catalogue hype, or even an impractical scheme.
Having nothing that excites them, some seem
Opposed to the work, that others find supreme!
Often a keen, zealous gardener will daydream
Long hours, making changes to his garden theme,

Or making plans to enjoy his retirement years.
Few will see them through, as unfounded fears

Prevent them making any honest attempt:
Erstwhile detailed plans, no longer tempt:
And soon, their garden becomes unkempt,
Collecting ridicule, scorn and contempt!
Even experts fail to motivate any attempt

At revival. Years add up, advancing age takes its toll:
No one can arrest its advance! With their avowed goal
Denied, self perpetuating ennui overtakes their soul,

Yet though some smouldering emotion may persist.
Eventually all exuberance dies, for few can resist
The boredom that overwhelms. In a senile mist

Their ardour wanes, and the once daily grist,
Has no further place in their life. A few persist
Even into later years, but though they may enlist

Friends to help, most plans remain a dream,
Or remain an unattainable catalogue scheme.
Others, on seeing a garden considered supreme,
Long for, but lack the all essential gleam,

Compulsion and drive, a garden demands.
Opportunities fade, or are, like shifting sands,
Never still. The once hard working hands
That wrought change, sit idle. All demands
Ever a step away! No one quite understands
Nature's insatiable intent, or why she stands
Determined to invade any neglected lands
Swiftly and telling. Imperiously she commands

The waiting weeds to go forthwith, and invade!
Hapless man cannot deny her aims. Though well laid,
All his plans are set to naught! Unable to stand the tirade
That she can and will unleash. But few can dissuade

Gardeners that no matter what, She will always win!
Our every effort being denied, though angry within,
Destiny dictates, we must always try. To give in

Is not the answer, nor one that gardeners can accept.
Seen as incompetence, it labels a gardener -"inept! "

No one possessed of a passionate imagination,
Objects to a gardener's creative inspiration,
That he might implement, but determination

Needs to be well nurtured, and he always needs
Outside influences to interact. Unless he heeds
The necessary conditions to fully foster seeds,

Growth will be denied. This hobby, in which I delight;
Offers many interesting angles on life. It is our human right!
Desired essentials are moisture, warmth, sun and light.

If you'd be a gardener, patience is required;
Never be neglectful, even when you're tired.

Go about your daily labours, with a smile:
Always prepared to go an extra back breaking mile.
Reason's never needed, for your doing things in style,
Days may seem dismal, so laugh once in a while.
Even misfortune, using cunning and guile,
Never defeats you, if you wear that big smile!
So face up to troubles, and prove you're versatile

When fate knocks you down, and the garden's a mess!
Have faith in yourself, despite the overwhelming duress,
Engage in other projects - they help to banish stress.
Never give up on your dream, it's your way to express

The true ‘you' that few will ever get to know.
Having a garden, is a most relaxing place to go,
Escaping from the effects of stress, worry and woe

Everyone in life will experience at stressful times.
Voices herein, soon become muted, and sometimes
Ears tune to the joyful songs of birds. Rhymes

In number, penned by poets through the ages
Sing the praises of a garden's appeal. Sages

Compose and extol its therapeutic effect:
On taking time to sit quietly, we can expect
Others to follow their advice, and connect
Lovingly with its ambiance. But such respect

Needs our enthusiasm and dedication to living,
As we revel unashamedly in its benevolent giving,
Yielding to its sensuous delights, we find it forgiving,

But requires we give completely of ourselves as well.
Unless prepared to do so, a garden soon becomes a Hell
That squanders the Senses with which we're born. Tell

It to a gardener and doubtless he'll show you the way

He copes, and how he celebrates even the dullest day.
Ability to see, smell and touch, as is the human way
Vitalises our life, whenever we get a cold rainy day.
Everything shines brighter, in a golden sunny ray,

And although rain is needed, we hope it does not stay.

Sometimes answers are simple, if we give them serious thought,
In the light of rational thinking, most troubles become as naught.
Going into a garden, to find the peaceful solitude that is sought,
Never disappoints. If you value what your labours wrought?

The world accepts you as a gardener - supreme
Intent on pursuing a persistent, long held dream.
So when you decide you'll work on your scheme,

Vision is essential if you'd have it materialise.
Emerging from thought to reality, before your eyes
Requires hard work, which comes as no surprise.
Yes, there are many that appreciate the prize

Such hard labour awards a determined man.
Using basic skills, he'll is knowing how he can
Restore a neglected garden, to a state better than
Ever it was before. It is by his use of a plan,

Goals are reached - some seldom attempted before -
Over disbelieving cynical experts. Furthermore,
Dedicated gardeners will seek out and explore

Ways that illustrate their personal unique style.
Applying ingenious ideas, and employing guile:
Letting artistic talent run free, they will in a while,
Know they've replaced boring traditional profile
Seen everywhere, with their own distinctive style.

If traditional gardeners never allow us to see,
New trends, how utterly boring life would be!

Many gardeners think they're an expert
In the crafting of a garden, but to this I object!
No man is ever truly competent nor perfect
Excepting he and Nature unite and connect.

Rhymer. April 24th,2016