Gardening is trying to impose an order on nature

In a reflection on his Swiss week, a columnist likens gardening to an effort to impose order on nature, a struggle particularly evident during a recent heatwave. Drawing parallels to the biblical Garden of Eden, the author describes the desolation of sun-scorched raspberry canes and thirsty viburnum leaves, contrasting it with the lush, almost suffocating greenery in a more protected part of the garden.

The gardener, placed on earth to cultivate the soil, contemplates rearranging the garden in the autumn. He plans to move valerian plants, repot periwinkles, and plant forsythias in a sunnier spot. This act of intervention, of naming and organizing, is presented as a fundamental human impulse.

However, the article pivots to the complexities of decision-making in Switzerland. The author notes that deciding on garden changes takes time, requires consultation, and often faces financial constraints. Furthermore, the dispersed nature of power means no single entity is truly accountable, leading to a sense of fatigue.

The piece suggests that in Switzerland, like in a challenging garden, problems may eventually resolve themselves through inaction. The column, however, is reserved for subscribers, with the publication emphasizing its independent journalism.