A Different Point of View

We went fishing with a friend early one morning. The stars were still out and Lake Michigan was glassy smooth. Heading out of the harbor, I leaned back and watched the blanket of stars move slowly overhead. I felt part of something much bigger. And at the same time, with the sound of the boat’s motor and the conversation between the others on the boat, I felt connected to where I was and who I was with.

As the sun rose, I looked toward shore and tried to pick out landmarks that I know. Good Harbor. Whaleback. North Manitou. Christmas Cove. From the water, these places look different. Some of the names of these landmarks make much more sense viewing them from Lake Michigan. The hump of land along the shore looks like a whale’s back. The wide, protected bay is clearly visible as you make your way to land. It had to feel good to captains who were looking for a safe harbor.

It is good to look at the familiar from a different point of view. I live in a forest two miles from the lake shore. And there are hills and valleys. Large oaks and pines along hiking paths. As I walk in the low areas, the air is noticeably cooler, especially in spring as the temperatures slowly warm. Taking a path in the opposite direction from the way I usually walk brings a new point of view. The light hits the ground differently. The undulation of the land is different. Views are different. Just from going south when I usually go north.

And in my garden? My beds are much smaller than the wider landscape around me. I move about the gardens in the morning and evening and in all seasons. How can I see something new and interesting in the oh so familiar?

One day I picked out all the shades of green. Do I like how this background color shapes and fills the garden? Other days I looked for shades of yellow, white, red, and blue. Do I have drifts of color or a hodgepodge of color? And do I like how color pops or flows in the garden? Is there enough white in the garden? What colors show up in what seasons?

I also looked at plant forms and textures. Where are there tall, spiky plants and where are there more rounded forms? Where are there feather-like leaves, small leaves, large leaves, round leaves, long leaves? With these observations, I have a plan on plants to move, remove, or add.

There is a saying that if you change how you look at things, the things you look at change. This is especially true in the garden.