An inspiration

   I recently took a short trip to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. to see some gardens and historical sites.  On Sunday, April 1st, I visited the garden of Norie Burnet of Richmond, VA.  She and I were two of several moss gardeners featured in Annie Martin's book, The Magical World of Moss Gardening, which was published by Timber Press in 2015.  Norie has a number of paths through her three-fourths of an acre shade garden, and they are all covered in mosses of several species.  About 20 years ago, she had been failing to grow grass in those areas.  Her son convinced her to allow the beautiful mosses to take over.  They did.  Now she is one of Nature's Chosen, for as George Schenk said in his book, Moss Gardening, "Every John and Jane grows grass.  Only Nature's chosen grow moss."  Norie told me her embracement of moss was life changing--and for the better.  I know how she feels, as I experienced the same epiphany in the summer of 2005.
    Norie takes care of her entire garden alone, and she moves with considerable agility and speed.  She says she has lots of leaves each fall, picking them up in a large bucket and depositing them in various spots, including her additional uncultivated three acres of woodland.  So, what is so inspiring, besides the beauty of her moss garden?  She was about to start high school when I was born!  And I recently considered hiring a contractor to haul away my leaves, saving me 60 hours each fall.  I am so ashamed.