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Health & Fitness

Scabiosa or Corn? Plus Gardening Gender Roles

Late yesterday afternoon, at the end of a pre-prandial stroll, I encountered a man who had just been examining the “Adopt This Park” plaque at one of the 3rd and Dayton flower beds.

As we passed on the sidewalk I heard him mutter something about corn.  I turned to give him my attention, and he continued, “I’d sponsor one of these if I could plow it up and plant corn.”

I grunted noncommittally.

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As he advanced a little too close, I noticed his face was round and flushed.  “I’d rather have something you could eat than those flowers,” he elaborated.

“Yeah, I could see that,” I nodded agreeably. “I like the flowers, though. Maybe you could plant some vegetables along here.” I indicated an unplanted strip at the foot of a rockery, across the sidewalk from the flower corner.

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After a little more blathering like this, we parted, but not before he offered:  “A man would plant food. Women plant flowers.” 

I was a little nonplussed by this generalization, but, determined to stay on the middle ground, I responded that I like both. By which I meant food and flowers, although I'm not sure how he might have taken it.  

The conversation stuck in my mind. Later it got me to thinking about how a few corn stalks might actually go with the delphiniums, or the beautiful but unfortunately named scabiosa, or whatever.  

What do you think?  Would you like to see corn or beans, tomatoes or squash, planted at some of these corner parks?  What edible ornamentals might work?  Would they stick out, like the rogue verbena, or could they blend right in?

And how would you have replied to this gentleman and his gardening gender roles?

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