2025, books, gardening, Uncategorized

Running Amok

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I am a pretty quiet and rule abiding person. I have a wild side, though, that I show through gardening, especially by growing butternut squash, indeterminate heirloom tomatoes, and unruly rose bushes. I also think it is why I love terriers so much, the naughtiest of dogs.

I love the way vining plants are heedless to boundaries and barriers. This year’s butternut variety from Jung’s is a real winner in that respect. You can see it in the header photo. It has taken over much of the front yard veggie bed and is growing out into the lawn, into the pole beans, basil, peppers, and potatoes, and almost to the front door. I am waiting for it to grab my ankle when I walk onto the stoep.

The roses in front by the stoep are almost 10 feet tall. We have Brandywine tomato plants that are taller than I am. The rain this summer has been a blessing.

Robertson Davies, one of my favorite Canadian authors, describes in his Deptford Trilogy the Canadian penchant for quiet rule breaking, such as little boys surreptitiously setting off fire crackers at the end of a small town parade. If you haven’t read him, you must. His books are delights.

How do you push boundaries and break rules? What vining plants do you like to grow? Ever read Robertson Davies?

42 thoughts on “Running Amok”

  1. I am generally non-confrontational and operate on the principle that it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.

    I read Robertson Davies sometime in the distant past but can’t remember which novel. I have at least a couple of his books in my library—The Deptford Trilogy and Murther and Walking Spirits, I believe (I am not home to check), and possibly also What’s Bred in the Bone, so they are readily available to me but have not risen to the top of my reading pile anytime lately.

    Other Canadian writers I like are Margaret Atwood, of course, and Stephen Leacock. I’ve read a little Michael Ondatje but couldn’t say he’s a favorite.

    In my collection of nineteenth century humor I have several books by Judge Thomas Haliburton, a Nova Scotian who wrote under the pen name and guise of Sam Slick, a yankee clockmaker and peddler.

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    1. I found Davies very compelling when I moved to Winnipeg in 1980, since his works helped me understand the roots of the culture I had just immersed myself in.

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      1. Because I enjoy historical fiction about the American frontier, I like most of Ivan Doig’s work. However, his novel about sheep ranching in Montana was about long lasting suffering, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I skipped the suffering and went to the the back for the ending. i think it was an accurate depiction of frontier life, but too realistic.

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  4. Stegner’s father was a booze runner an farmer. He lived in Canada and went to school in Canada. Their farm was across the border. He wrote a book about that. If I recall correctly you can rent space in his childhood home as a writer’s retreat. I will look it up.

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    1. The one crawling up your porch is pretty impressive, too. Kind of like the plant in “Rocky Horror Picture Show” if I am thinking of the right movie.

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    3. YA and I were already at the fair when the shooting happened this morning. Anna lives about three blocks from the school/church and I live about five. So all I know is what I’ve gotten from various news outlets throughout the day and even that has been quite slow and spotty because the Wi-Fi connection at the fair stinks. But I’m really irritated right now with people sending thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers aren’t doing a freaking thing.

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  7. Rise and Shine, Baboons (but stay out of the way of the shooter). Talk about rule breaking! I am wringing my hands.

    Louise Penny would have to be my favorite Canadian author and her town of Three Pines. I am sure there are others, but often there is not a lot of distinction between the country of authors, so I might like one and not know he/she is Canadian.

    I am somewhat adventurous and I especially enjoy speeding in my car. My speeding cannot be too out of control, though, because it has been 10 years since my last speeding ticket. Please, everyone reading this, including our 14,000 subscribers, DO NOT TELL! Generally, I am just law abiding. It is easier.

    I am eagerly anticipating some lawful protesting against this president. The June 14 protest was incredibly satisfying. Come Autumn, right around the corner, I intend to do more of that. The Bridge Brigades are especially enticing.

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  9. Rule breaker? Not very often. Boundary pusher, meaning not doing things the way other people think things should be done, the unwritten rules some hold dear? My life story.

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  11. Today is National Dog Day. In honor of herself, Phoebe-Do has graciously shed hair all over the house. I am virtuously vacuuming it up and brushing her outdoors. 🙏

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  12. Rules don’t apply to me.
    I say that tongue in cheek and carefully…
    Choose your rule following judiciously.

    Robertson Davies; that triggered some deep memory, but I haven’t figured out why yet. None of the books are ringing any bells.

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      1. I remember telling a kid at the college that my muscles were too big so I had to cut the sleeves off. He just stared at me and didn’t know what to do with that information. That was probably 15 years ago. I had more muscles then than I have now. 🙂

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  14. I remember a trumpet vine in Robbinsdale that I liked. Right now all the vining things are way too aggressive, and I want them to stop.

    I have broken a few minor rules at times, but cannot thing of a specific right now.

    Have not yet read Robertson Davies, though he has been recommended multiple times. Maybe now I will.

    I may be on very sketchily this week, too many meetings and assignments, plus an electrical circuit in the house not working. Would like to break all the rules and just crawl back into bed…

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  16. This weekend I have to trim the butternuts and canteloupe vines so they put their energy into the fruits they have set and not try to set any more fruit.

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  17. I love oak leaf ivy. A friend gave me one about a year ago, and it’s doing really well. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of my former partner Morgan. He had one that I took care of for years. It vined all over the house from its spot on the second floor loft.

    This year I had nasturtiums that went completely wild. I put them in my grow boxes because they usually don’t get that big for me. This year they grew to the size of small shrubs. I made stuffed nasturtium leaves (dolmades) with them. It worked out well, but too fussy for me to want to do it again. The nasturtiums were lovely, but they started vining all over the deck.

    It’s been a good year for jewelweed this year, if you’re interested in native plants. It’s growing all over the place and it looks really healthy. I wonder if its companion plant, poison ivy, is also doing well. I’ve only noticed the jewelweed.

    I follow most rules these days. One rule I detest is the seatbelt law. I use my seatbelt in heavy traffic and on freeways, but when I get to county or township roads, it comes off. I’ve long been one to bend the rules or forge new paths, but I’m more cautious these days.

    My heart goes out to those whose lives were impacted by the horrific tragedy today. The little boy who said his friend laid himself on top of him and got “hit” in the back for his efforts made me cry. This should not happen. Not here, not anywhere.

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