Around the world, folks are greatly admired and universally liked when they are funny, and find humor all around them. The ability to lighten up the seriousness of any situation and "laugh with God" as they trod, is a welcome trait, indeed. A visit with retired CPA turned consummate gardener, Ed Pickle, is one that certainly must be taken lightly, as near constant laughter accompanies a romp through the lilies. Ed won't tolerate too many serious garden inquiries before he sidetracks onto a play on words or his classic, "Let me tell you a story."

Ed and wife, Abby, are a delightful couple who began their Alabama gardening saga in 2004, when both retired and moved to the Malbis area. Although they enjoyed living in Malbis, Ed yearned to be out in the country to roam freely and to begin developing Abby's beloved daylily garden. In his former work life, the tax duties of this CPA kept him chained inside during the stunning springtimes when busy gardeners thrive and work their magic outdoors. He fit in what gardening he could--mostly maintaining the lawn and "remodeling the shrubbery.” He removed and replaced the variegated privet, which seemed omnipresent in each of his previous homes.

Once he and Abby moved out "into the country" north of Spanish Fort, Ed really began his gardening education, as he began waging the garden battles with deer flies, the infamous no-see-ums, and the shock of $500 water bills, as the frugal CPA struggled to keep the sandy soil plant-sustaining. As he tinkered around the lawn, he found that he had lots of questions and few answers. Following the advice of friend and Master Gardener/forester, Jett Freeman, Ed joined the Master Gardener intern class of 2012 and now has all the answers! Ed smiles and says he learned a lot from the classes, and through working on the Master Gardener hotline. He can now reference many available resources to find answers for his or anyone's questions.

Besides gardening with finesse, Mr. Ed enjoys golfing with "the old folks," a group of friends in their 70s (he is the baby of the group--in his 60s). He laughingly declares "Let other folks pay for entertainment--I get it for free,"with his golfing buddies as stories of the days of old run rampant. He and Abby enjoy spending pleasant retirement days traveling to visit kids and grandkids in Birmingham and Louisiana.

While Ed and Abby were busy establishing Abby's daylily beds, Ed first came across and became interested in growing the lovely Asiatic lilies, which thrive in his yard. Ed enjoys the fact that Asiatics are the hardiest of all lily hybrids and are easiest for the beginning lily grower. Not to mention, they are the first lilies to flower each season, they come in a wide range of colors from white to orange to pink, and they multiply rapidly, producing more and more lovely flowers to grace the garden with color, longevity, and beautiful form. Along with the Asiatic lily, Ed enjoys all bulb flowers-from gladiolas to irises and is busy incorporating these into the garden.

Abby points out the lushly fragrant night-blooming jasmine planted at several bedroom windows to be enjoyed through flung-open windows during temperate spring and autumn nights. New Guinea impatiens, butterfly bushes, oakleaf hydrangeas, apapanthus, luscious-smelling sweet olives, hibiscus, and Sago palms are nestled among the lily collection throughout the large yard that was "nothing but woods" three years ago. Ed has added swamp dogwoods, crape myrtles, and a couple of red maples to shade the lawn. Following the classic Master Gardening advice, Ed adheres to the "Don't fight Mother Nature" philosophy. "Plant what will grow well in your growing conditions," he advises.

Along with the area's biting insects, Ed battles the always hungry deer population that loves his rural neighborhood. He has built cages around the plants that the deer like, which include just about everything in his yard! Claiming he doesn't really know what gardening rules are, Ed's garden design is, by his own admission, haphazard. He throws seeds and plants around and stands back to see what will grow. He has a very nice baby vegetable garden with thriving healthy okra, onions, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and squash which help explain the high water bills. The couple grows watermelons, roses, Indian Hawthornes, which Ed loves, and blueberries are thriving. Ed is a "learn what grows by watching" type of gardener and modestly admits he is not a professional–he’s just learning. He may be well on his way to becoming a gardening fanatic, because, to him, soil tests actually mean something. Each year, he finds that his lawn area is growing consistently smaller as the flower beds encroach.

Thomas Jefferson allowed that most of us prefer to associate with a good-humored, lightly-principled man, rather than an ill-tempered rigorist of morality. Ed Pickle is that good-humored, principled soul, wandering the garden, shovel and hose in hand, sharing a laugh with God, as he waters the sand and watches the deer enjoy their supper.