Gardening
I’m trying to write a new blog post meditating on the word ‘manager’ as I look out at my slightly untidy and overgrown garden, and I’m thinking that it’s not a very good word to describe what those of us who carry that title actually do. To manage generally means “to oversee, to control, to be in charge”, but it also carries the connotation of coping, of getting by, of just about having enough. Not terribly inspiring.
Hmm.
My garden really is in a bit of a state at the moment. I’ve been a bit neglectful through the wintry weather, and it has become rather— woolly. There is some dead wood to be stripped out, and some judicious pruning to be done, so the shrubs can flourish and put out new growth. The big conifer that throws too much shade over the bottom of the garden needs fetching down altogether — that’s going to be a big job, and not one I’m looking forward to. It’ll be expensive, and it’ll likely leave a bit of a mess, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. The person we bought the house from should have done it ages ago, but they didn’t, and sometimes you just have to deal with the consequences of other people’s decisions.
Then there’s the Big Hole where the pond used to be. That needs filling in before someone falls in it. I’m not sure how we’re going to ship in enough ballast to fill it yet, so I should probably fence it off while we plan that out.
If time and money were no object, I’d redesign the whole plot. Fetch out the straggly azaleas and the laurel that has a Russian Vine growing through it, level and re-lay the lawn, and extend the patio out so we have more space for people to sit and kids to play. It’s a huge undertaking though, and not one we can afford to do in one go, so we’ll have to prioritise and do it in stages. Maybe I’ll start by tidying up the herb patch — the sage is getting out of hand and overpowering some of the smaller, more delicate plants, so I should move it to where it’ll be up against some more robust companions. And my poor rosemary, which got completely flattened by the heavy snow, is in need of a bit of TLC.
The flower bed closest to the house needs some attention, too. The plants I put in last year haven’t taken, so I need to dig it over and put some membrane down to stop the weeds taking over, then I can plant it up again. I don’t like to use pesticides and weedkiller, I prefer to let things find their own balance as much as possible, and use gentler, less toxic methods to get the result I want. You’re more likely to get some pleasant surprises that way too.
I think I’ll get a nice mix of fragrant perennials and self-seeding wildflowers in, and maybe put up a trellis for a couple of climbers— they might need a bit of careful tending while they get established, but over time they should all become pretty self-sufficient. That’ll leave me more time to tackle some of the bigger projects.
I could even start a few veggies from seed — a bit of a faff to begin with, granted, and not all of them will be successful, but it’ll be nice to have some home-grown produce later in the year. And it’ll be a good learning experience for the kids to help look after them.
Anyway. This isn’t getting my blog post written.
I wish there was a better word for what I do than ‘Manager’. It’s not about controlling or coping with people; it’s about helping them grow and find the place where they can flourish. It’s about bringing the right mix of people together in a team so they can use their unique mix of attributes and abilities to support and complement each other. Sometimes, it’s about doing some difficult things for the good of the individual and the wider organisation. It’s prioritising the right things at the right time, and starting again from scratch when things don’t turn out as planned. It’s paying close attention to detail, making bold, sweeping changes, and everything in between. It’s hard, exhausting, never-ending work, but with continuous effort and care, the results can be spectacular.
And if you put it off because prevailing conditions are less than favourable, you’ll just end up with an even bigger job to contend with.
(Photo by me — Lunaria annua, ‘Honesty’)
