5 Reasons to Garden

October 28, 2015
Larry Hurley
Gardening How-To
1 Comment

1. Be One with Nature instead of One Hundred Thousand and One with Nature. Been downtown to try to see the cherry blossoms and been overwhelmed by the crowds? Enjoy the blossoms as they are meant to be, sitting alone on a bench as the gentle breezes blow and petals fall around you from your own trees. Ahhhh….

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2. Discover your inner Archeologist. You never know what you might find when you’re digging in the garden. The ‘burbs were all farms at one time–you might find a trove of gold coins hidden from advancing civil war troops. Whiskey hidden during Prohibition. Or somebody’s pet turtle buried in 1956. Sure, most of the soil in your yard came from the excavation of your basement, but what if your basement was right over a farm owned by George Washington?

3. Gardening is a great outlet for Road Rage. You have a bad commute and someone cut you off? Hold it in till you get home. Put on some gloves and start pulling weeds. Imagine that each one is that guy in the Beemer. Weed Rage: the healthy alternative. It keeps you out of jail.

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4. Experience counts!! Instead of being a hopelessly befuddled old person who can’t comprehend why anyone would want to enjoy a movie on a wristwatch, you can instead be a wise old person who can grow corn trees and carrot bushes. It’s never too early to prepare for obsolescence!

5. Knowledge of gardening will help you survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Hey! Ms Organic!! Are you going to spend your few remaining days eating cold peas out of a swollen can? People with gardening skills will be in high demand in the Safe Zone. More Beanssssss!!! If nothing else, you will be free-range, 100% organic Zombie Chow.

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by Larry Hurley, Behnke horticulturist

Larry Hurley

Larry Hurley worked at Behnke Nurseries from 1984 until the business was composted in 2019, primarily with the perennial department in growing, buying and sales.

Before landing at Behnke’s, he worked as a technician in a tissue culture lab, a houseplant “expert” at a florist shop, and inventory controller at a wholesale nursery in Dallas. With this and that, ten years passed.

When his wife Carolyn accepted a position at Georgetown University, Larry was hired at Behnke’s for the perennial growing department and garden center at Behnke’s Largo location.

In 2021, Larry and Carolyn moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to family and further from traffic. After 37 years in a shaded yard in Maryland, he is happy to have a sunny lot where he can grow all sorts of new perennials, if only he can keep the rabbits at bay. He also enjoys cooking, traveling, and the snowblower.

reasons to garden

Comments (1)

MaryClaire Walker says:

October 21, 2021 at 7:28 am

So sad and happy for my long time friend, Larry Hurley, as he leaves Maryland and enters into the next phase of his life. Larry was my mentor at Behnkes for the CPH exam back in 1986! As a young person just starting in the nursery business, working along side him for many years is probably one of the many reasons why I am still in this business. He enjoyed everything that had to do with the outdoors and his passion was passed along to everyone that worked with him. You will be greatly missed in Maryland Larry but you are wished nothing but the best in your next adventure! Stay well and happy my friend! your friend, MaryClaire

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