A Field of Flowers

A Field of Flowers — The Harness — Moderation

Peter Randall was so well-respected as a farmer that other farmers would pay close attention to what he chose to plant as a crop every year. Peter is the main character in a short story written by John Steinbeck. The name of the story is “The Harness”. The story belongs to a collection of stories called The Long Valley.

Peter wears a harness to keep his shoulders straight and his stomach pulled in— no slouching. His wife insists that Peter wears this harness.

One year Peter decided to imbibe and to gamble with the crop he chose to grow on his 40 acres. Believe it or not, his choice was sweet peas. Why sweet peas? Indeed, Peter’s neighbors were shocked by such a choice. Sweet peas could easily be destroyed and the whole crop be lost. But sweet peas are incredibly beautiful and very fragrant. Their pleasant smell travels far and wide and oh the beauty — and oh the beauty.

The sweet peas are likely a release from the rigidness of the harness he wears and how tightly his wife reins him in. Peter was known to take some time away from his work in the nearby cities to have a few drinks and let his hair down so to speak. And the sweet peas — maybe a release from wearing the harness of restraint and discipline.

As it turned out, the crop of sweet peas was incredibly successful, and Peter reaped the benefits of his gamble. But it so happened during this time his wife died. She fell ill and could not shake her illness. Peter was incredibly distraught. He cast aside the harness he had worn for so many years and tried to live life without it. He imbibed fully!

But he just could not totally shed that harness. Later on, he admitted that his wife did not die dead. She was with him always. He submitted and girded himself in the harness again. It felt good to wear it again and to continue a life of hard work on the farm.

I have felt like Peter Randall many times in my life. For many years, I have cultivated a garden. At first my garden was basically vegetables. I always felt that it had to have a very practical purpose. Food is a practical purpose. Many of the monks loved the fresh vegetables and so did many others.

As time progressed, I was asked to consider a Farmer’s Market to be side by side with Br. Jerome’s weekend of hospitality meals at the Guest House and along with the Flea Market at the barn which we used. So, it continued and the garden expanded.

However, I always had the desire for flowers– fields of flowers. I started out rather small. Since my paternal grandmother had lots of irises and peonies, I started with irises and peonies. They are tubers and do not take a lot of care, but they are only seasonal. By late June, irises and peonies are totally spent.

I needed more flowers that lasted all summer long — especially if I wanted fields of them. When I was first learning gardening as a boy, I had zinnias. I knew they grew easily and quickly. I also understood that they would continue to grow all season long if they were dead-headed and cut often for arrangements. In fact, the more they are cut the more they produce. I also understood if they were damaged by a storm of hail or wind, I could revive them by cutting them down. They just grow new shoots and flourish even more.

I finally had the answer for growing a field of flowers–ZINNIAS! And this is the year that I am going to be Peter Randall. I do not know how old Peter was when he decided his whole crop was going to be sweet peas, but I do know that there can’t be too many more years in me with this gardening stuff. This is the year to do it. Now is the acceptable time– either now, or it may never happen. As I write this article, it is the month of April. In fact, it is Holy Week. We have the words, “now is the acceptable time” all during Lent. Now is the time to cast off the harness of restraint and to move forward with making the dream of a field of flo

wers a reality.

Easter is about the latest it can be this year and at this time, I am well along the way to making the field of flowers a reality. Zinnias far outdo the other flowers in my planting plans, but there will be lots of other flowers along the way as well.

Each day I plant more, I will admit that the Benedictine value of Moderation enters my thoughts. I can’t say that I have guilty feelings, but I wonder how I am going to use all of these flowers. The seed comes easily for me since I order from a place in Kansas City, Missouri– The Planter Seeds and Spice Co. I can buy seeds in bulk there. Literally, I have enough Zinnia seed to plant more than an acre of zinnias and it would not cost me any more than $30 – $40. I could get that in return for 3 or 4 of large arrangements of Zinnias—easily! So, I justify that moderation is NOT violated with the cost of seed.

The only other gyration running through my mind when I am in the garden is the time it takes to plant and then of course to keep the weeds at bay. Time and labor, I have also managed. I plant cover crops and som

e crops together as companions. And once the flowers take over, weeds do not have a chance because the flowers dominate.

Perhaps some examples would be good. A very early flower that is very hardy is the bachelor button. It is one of the first to sprout in the spring. At times I use it with oats. I broadcast both of them together in large sections of the garden. Once this is done, there is no other care needed. They grow together and choke out weeds.

Irises and peonies are rhizomes. They come up every year. There is not much one needs to do with them. Peonies are in high demand around here. Numerous florists are asking how my peonies are doing already. But I do fret a bit when hail is in the forecast. I learned from the Benedictine sisters in Yankton,

SD, that peonies will last for a month or so if you cut them in bud and use a cooler to hold them.

I also have sunflowers, cone flowers, dusty miller, cosmos, celosia, ammi magus, soapwort. All of these are easy to grow and if planted close enough together, they keep the weeds at bay. I am experimenting with crimson clover this year. Its flowers have sturdy stems and will hold up in arrangements. I broadcast it as well and there is nothing left to do to care for it. Just cut the flowers for arrangements!

It goes without saying that I also have good equipment to accomplish the tasks of the garden challenge—tillers and tractors, etc.

I do think of Peter Randall at times when I am in the garden. I admit that in some ways he fascinates me. He was able to accomplish his dream with sweet peas. I think that I can accomplish my dream, primarily with zinnias and the help of some other flowers.

Perhaps the harness can be viewe

d in another way– an aid in keeping focused and disciplined to accomplishing a task. I am determined to make the field of flowers a reality in the summer of 2025. And I hope to share the dream with many people who come to Mount Michael to partake in the flower events of the summer. I even planted a row of sweet peas in memory of Peter