The freckles go on top...

It's about that time in the gardens - the time when all of the gardening staff and curator gear up for the blooming season.  There's so much manicuring to be done before the first of March, even though the heavy blooming often starts before that.  I need to be sure to make a lunch time visit this week so that I can watch the progression.

The first indication that the heavy gardening work has begun is that there are more frequent petty cash requests for gas money to run the mowers and blowers.  A great deal is done by hand, but there are huge expanses of lawn to be trimmed, and since those cash requests come across my desk, red garden flags go up in my brain.  Charge the cameras for the yearly photoshoot!

The walls of my cubicle are made of a material that allows one to pin up important reminders, and one whole wall is covered with 8x10 photos of the gardens at various times of year. Spring, fall, summer, and infrequent snow - each has its spot.  One day our gardens curator came for petty cash. He kept staring at this photo, which was posted horizontally.  Then he turned to me and said,"You know, you have that up wrong." I was thinking,"Does it really make a difference?  It's beautiful  in any case."  He said,"The freckles always go on the top."  And indeed, the picture does not seem right until the freckles are on the top.  That's where the balance is. There are all kinds of beauty, and balance is part of it.