An Intern Gardener Discovers Her Purpose

She was dressed to impress. It was her first day working as an intern in the Arboretum, and Mindy was eager to please Ingrid, her mentor. She unpacked two kinds of rakes, a hoe, short pruning shears, scissors, an adjustable bench, and folding canvass containers for gathering weeds. She carefully pulled on her elbow-length gardening gloves, noting with satisfaction that the yellow and white daisy pattern matched the yellow of her Jileon gardening boots and her yellow sun visor.

 

            Her mentor glanced at Mindy, her gaze taking in her apparel from head to toe. “I can see you dressed for the garden,” she said drily.

 

            Mindy smiled appreciatively, glad that her mentor noticed the extra effort. “Yes, I even found my sunflower earrings. They match what I’m wearing.”

 

            She observed that her mentor was not wearing earrings. “If you like, I can give you a pair of tulip earrings. They have red petals and green leaves. I think they’re made from porcelain.”

 

            "I wasn’t aware that one is supposed to wear earrings while gardening,” said Ingrid gravely.

 

            “Earrings, bracelets, necklaces… gardens are so beautiful. Wearing accouterments makes me feel like I fit in the garden.”

 

            “Well, we want you to fit in here,” said Ingrid.

 

            She pulled out her secateurs and motioned for Mindy to follow. “The gardens have been neglected and it’s going to take a while before we get them ship-shape. Let’s start by clearing the main path and the small beds next to the main path.”

 

            Mindy looked in dismay at the weed-covered ground. She didn’t know what she thought she’d be doing today, but she knew it didn’t involve pulling thousands of weeds implanted in a thin layer of gravel. Still, she wasn’t going to argue with her supervisor.

 

            Ninety minutes later, she stretched her back and lifted her neck upwards. She looked at the three bags of weeds she’d collected. She stood up and took a long sip from her water bottle.

 

            Ingrid looked on approvingly. “I’m glad to see that you’re taking the time to hydrate yourself. We’re making good progress. Can you see the difference?”

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            Working from opposite sides, they’d cleared an area measuring about five square feet. As if reading her intern’s mind, Ingrid cleared her throat and nodded at Mindy. “I know you’re thinking there’s still a lot to do, and that’s true. But don’t get discouraged. Let’s take a walk around the garden to see what flowers we can find.”

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            They circled the inside path, finding blue indigo, eighteen inch high Echinacea plants, and mounds of yarrow underneath tall weeds. Ingrid reached down and used her hand to clear away dirt. “If you look closely, you can see there are stepping stones. These were installed in the shape of a massive butterfly. They lead into and around the butterfly garden. I’m not sure if we will uncover all of them this year, but we’re going to try.” 

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            When they reached the outer perimeter, Ingrid pointed to large stands of thin brittle branches. “Look at these lantanas. The butterflies are going to love the flowers! But first, we’ll need to trim these back to about eighteen inches.”

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            Mindy leaned forward grabbing a branch with her hand. It cracked in two and she was able to remove the dead stem without much effort. “I can work on these now,” she offered.

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            Ingrid shook her head. “No, it’s time to get back to clearing the main path. They worked companionably for the next ninety minutes. Suddenly Ingrid stood up and pulled some tangerines from her bag. “Have one. It’s refreshing.”

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            Together, Ingrid and Mindy loaded up the bags of weeds and emptied them in a large pile away from the ornamental gardens. Ingrid smiled approvingly at her intern. “I wasn’t sure if you’d have the willpower to pull weeds for three hours. It’s tiring, dirty work, and I’m sure you would have preferred to be clearing around flowers that are coming up from the ground. But you did a wonderful job! Thank you.”

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            Mindy grinned at her mentor. “I really had to focus to keep up with you, even though you’re twenty years older. I’m looking forward to helping make this into a beautiful garden. Since it’s next to the parking lot, it’s like the front hostess in a restaurant. Making a good first impression is very important.”

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            Ingrid smiled. She gestured to a butterfly bush surrounded by bronze fennel. “This garden is filled with pollinators. Look, there’s a monarch butterfly. It’s very unusual to see one so early this year. It’s going to be a good year.”

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            The two women walked together to the parking lot. At the last moment, Mindy turned back, pleading the need to use the building’s facilities. She watched as Ingrid pulled out of the parking lot.

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            After using the rest room, Mindy pulled out her bench and a small tarp. She set the bench next to the lantana bush and clipped away the brittle stems, filling the tarp. Ninety minutes later, she surveyed her work. She’d made a discernible dent in the lantana bushes, enough to make her want to come back and finish the task.

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            She was tired and dirty, but felt a deep sense of satisfaction. She imagined how attractive the garden could become, and was appreciative of the opportunity to help it get to that place. She smiled, happy that she’d signed up to become a master gardener intern.