When Andrew Marvell in To his Coy
Mistress penned,
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
It
maybe that he was referring to perennial potent plant power that does not fade
like the fickle nature of man. It could
be that vegetable love is more dependable even than fruit love as it grows more
slowly and surely and can often be preserved for longer. My vegetable love extends to hot summer
moments spent inside large canvass enclosure viewing prized vegetables shown by
experts and judged by committee. I
particularly enjoy seeing rosettes and certificates.
The
marrows shown here are not show quality so they were shown the pot. In his poem Marvell sound ready for dinner
whether roasted, boiled or baked his vegetable love will remain for his Coy Mistress
long after dinner is served. He assures
her that he will respect her in the morning when he sows new seeds in his
allotment that will flower forth into fresh blooms furthering his fecund
fidelity. Sometimes vegetable love can seem
so beautiful.
If
plant passions are turgid within you now then please pause and prune your over
amorous reaches before you partake of a little of the flavour of Mr Marvell’s The Garden;
The luscious clusters of the vine
Upon my mouth do crush their wine ;
The nectarine and curious peach
Into my hands themselves do reach ;
Stumbling on melons as I pass,
Insnared with flowers, I fall on grass.
This vegetable love has led me into a fruitful frame of mind. I intend to dally a while further in fertile
furrows foraging for fresh fodder. From
the earth do wonders rise that hold aloft the canopy of the skies. With scarce a whispered hum nature calls all
to march to her drum.
