There can be few people in Hampton who were not familiar with Maurice Bisson, the legendary, we should say, Maurice Bisson. Some of us knew him as the First Selectman, as supervisor of the road crew, some knew him as the mechanic who we relied upon to repair our vehicles, as the excavator who could problem solve what appeared as an impossible situation, and fix it, and some knew him as the person who held our hand through a traumatic experience, all the way till we were ready to let go. But we all knew him as a person who exemplified what it means to be a good neighbor. Maurice. Helped. Everyone. You didn’t have to know him. He didn’t have to know you. If you were stuck on the side of the road, needed someone to shovel your walkway, had a question concerning your well or your engine, Maurice was there.

In 1993, Maurice was recognized as the Gazette’s Citizen of the Year. When he was informed of the honor, his response was “What have I done?”

His wife, Rose, provided a couple of examples. She remembered a Christmas Eve he spent at a young family’s home when their heat wasn’t working and they couldn’t find a repair man. “If anyone calls and needs something,” she said, “Maurice is there.” He checked on elderly neighbors daily, running errands, clearing their driveways. During power outages, Maurice went from place to place with his generator. When he brought it to someone’s home at night, he would frequently find a thermos of hot coffee or soup. “That was plenty of thanks for me,” he said.

Maurice also volunteered his equipment and expertise to the community. When the Town Hall moved to its present location from the small building on the corner of Main Street and Old Route 6 West, Maurice volunteered his time and his trucks to move everything, enlisting the assistance of others and coordinating the entire operation. Former First Selectman Walt Stone recalled a time when Maurice threw the town’s damaged snow plow into his truck, drove all the way to Watertown, New York with it, and then returned later the same day with the repaired plow. He also volunteered as a spare driver for the snow plow to relieve the members of the road crew when storms required hours of plowing. And he and his chain saw were always available when trees or limbs required clearing from roads after storms, Stone relayed, noting, “He never charges”. The town was not the only entity that benefited from this generosity. More often than not, Maurice wouldn’t charge folks for his assistance.

In 2003, Maurice decided to donate all of that time, wisdom, and knowledge to town government. Because his decision came after the period of endorsements, Maurice ran in the November Municipal Election as a write-in candidate. He stood outside the 75’ perimeter and handed pencils with his name on it to voters. They used them. He defeated democratic, republican and petitioning opponents in a 212 – 175 – 117 – 77 vote to become one of our town’s Selectmen. Maurice’s victory was not only a stunning achievement for our little town. With neither an endorsement nor his name on the ballot, his election earned him recognition from the Secretary of State, front page coverage in The Willimantic Chronicle, and national acclaim in The New York Times.

The next election cycle, Maurice ran for First Selectman, securing and fulfilling the position of the town’s Chief Official until his retirement in 2009. Under his leadership, Maurice continued his goal of “bringing common sense back to our town government”. Among other accomplishments, he used his considerable skills to train the road crew, repair the highway department’s equipment, and serve as the spare snow plow driver. His was always a pragmatic approach, and of course, consumed more time than the office compensates, and when, for example, he discovered the amount the town was paying to transport fallen trees and limbs to a waste facility, he collected the timber, brought it home, turned it into firewood, and delivered it to residents who couldn’t cut it themselves. His devotion to the town and to its people was evident throughout his tenure.

In November of 2009, the town hosted a retirement party for Maurice in appreciation of his time as Selectman. “Good neighbors like the Bissons,” one person stated, “are hard to come by”.

In praising Maurice for his charitable contributions, one neighbor said: “Maurice usually forgot to bill the people who couldn’t afford his help, and when pushed to send a bill it was always modest in size”.

Another added, “Hampton needed a man to teach us by example. We were sent Maurice, and we have been the better for it. Let’s challenge ourselves to look around, find someone less fortunate, help them out, and refuse payment.”

And one neighbor read a poem written by Gary Snyder which epitomized Maurice. In spite of its title “Removing the Plate of the Pump On the Hydraulic System of the Backhoe, its message is simple and appropriate:

Through mud-fouled nuts, black grime
it opens, a gleam of spotless steel
machined-fit perfect
swirl of intake and output
relentless clarity
at the heart of work.

Though Maurice received recognition in local, state and national news, words from his neighbors were the ones that meant the most to him. Many of us remember Janet Robertson’s Memorial Day Address, in which she invited everyone to shake her hand, “the hand of an old lady who shook the hand of an old man who shook the hand of a lady who shook the hand of a man who shook the hand of George Washington”. But she began with another message. Her husband, Jim, had recently passed away after a long battle with leukemia when she was involved in an accident at the treacherous crossing of Routes 97 and 6. Maurice was contacted, and he stayed with her through the ordeal at the scene, went with her to the emergency room, and remained with her until she returned safely home. Deviating from the standard script of a Memorial Day Address, Janet explained, “I wanted you to know, this is the kind of person you’ve elected as your First Selectman.”

Maurice’s legacy lives on whenever we respect the uniqueness of our small community with the spirit of volunteerism, with kindnesses to our neighbors, the generosity of our gifts, helping those less fortunate. In this way, we honor Maurice’s memory.

Juan Arriola

An unusually well-attended meeting of the Hampton Elementary School Board of Education took place on September 19, 2024. This special meeting was called for a “Discussion of Board and Superintendent’s Goals” and “Discussion concerning performance of a Board member.”

After a review of survey results of the Board, members identified Vision, Community Leadership and Ethics as their primary areas of focus since these areas reflected the survey’s three lowest scores. Specific objectives will be developed over the course of many meetings.

The second agenda item concerned Board member Juan Arriola. Prior to the meeting, Chair Rose Bisson sent Arriola a statement citing issues with his “involvement in personnel issues, yelling at the Superintendent, Principal and Board members, not supporting Board of Education decisions; public statements made to the newspaper; and not following the Bylaws of the Board of Education.” Bisson claimed that Arriola’s “involvement” in a personnel issue concerning former custodian Armin Harris, who resigned in July, was “not appropriate” and “caused large problems,” while not specifying what those problems were. Harris, a person of color, has filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights, the second complaint filed by a school employee in as many years.

When granted an opportunity to speak, Arriola defended himself. He acknowledged writing letters to the editor on a variety of matters but never as a spokesperson for the Board of Ed. He asserted his right to vote his conscience, stating that he has “voted against budgets and stated my reasons … but I have never campaigned against a budget or any other matter once it was approved by the Board.” He also denied yelling at anyone and making public statements to the press. Reportedly, the Hampton Gazette article concerning Harris was based solely upon documents provided by Harris, the board’s response to a request for invoices for legal representation, and attendance at the Freedom of Information Commission and Board of Education meetings. The author of the Willimantic Chronicle article confirmed the same, stating that she did not speak with Arriola concerning any of these matters.

It was only when Arriola started to discuss the Board’s breaches of policy that Bisson interrupted and tried to prevent him from speaking, claiming it was a “personnel” issue, although Harris is no longer employed at the school. But Arriola pressed on and asserted that the Board breached the section of the Bylaw on Board Ethics by allowing one member to serve for over a year after moving out of town, and neglecting to object when another member, at a meeting during the pandemic, wished finance board members would “get sick”. He asserted that the Board “breached policy in nearly all of our dealings with Mr. Harris”, stating that policy dictated an immediate call to police when Harris was assaulted on school grounds; that the Superintendent had twenty days to resolve his grievance (the investigation took 90 days at a cost of $18,000) that the Board needed to be apprised of the grievance immediately instead of seven months later; and that the Board furthered Harris’ grounds for discrimination by suggesting that members rip up his resignation, refusing to read it because he hadn’t delivered it himself, though a review of the last five years of minutes revealed that no one has delivered a resignation in person. Arriola went on to say that his “involvement” in a personnel matter was not one of interference or representation, but “to listen, support and lend a shoulder.” He also stated that the Human Rights Commission recommended that he attend a meeting between Harris and two administrators due to what transpired at an earlier meeting.

Board member Dennis Timberman called Arriola’s defense of himself “uncalled for and unethical” and “a waste of time” that “belittled the Board”. Bisson claimed “people will report that their work atmosphere is hostile” and that Arriola’s conduct is “hurting our school culture… hurting our ability to keep and attract staff members.” Nine employees have resigned in the last year, though none cited Arriola as the reason.

Timberman then suggested that Arriola should be “dismissed from the Board.” He was corrected by Arriola and others that an elected official can only be removed if they are convicted felons or have moved out of town, according to State Statute. Timberman also accused Arriola of a “conflict of interest” but didn’t explain Arriola’s financial gain in the situation. (Bylaw 9270 refers only to direct monetary interest in contracts with the school and a Board member’s family). Timberman also suggested censure, and repeatedly pressed Arriola on whether he would abide by it, but never explained what the censure would be for or what abiding by it would mean.

Echoing Timberman’s claim that “teachers don’t feel safe”, Superintendent Andrew Skarzynski described the school climate as one of “tension”. He expressed concern that the school could lose teachers, stating multiple times that “the climate is indicative in the number of staff present,” referring to the attendance of many staff members. “They are feeling the tension and hostility…that’s why you have such a large turnout”, he said. “The collateral damage is reflected by the number of staff here. They are frustrated by what they see and what they hear.”

Arriola addressed the teachers, thanking them for their service. A teacher for 38 years, Arriola said he understood the challenges they face daily and spoke of his positive relationship with the staff, of the cultural lessons he had presented in several of their classrooms, how he had provided resources for them, raised hundreds of dollars for the Nature’s Classroom trip, and prepared ethnic meals for them throughout the year.

Although Board member David Halbach said he wanted to hear for himself from the teachers, Bisson would not allow it as “Audience for Staff” was curiously not on the agenda; other meetings offer two opportunities for public input. Though silenced during the meeting, teachers were observed approaching Arriola’s wife immediately after the meeting adjourned in a manner which could only be described as a show of support.

It is uncertain what the board’s next steps are, but hopefully, the goals being developed will address these issues.

Kathi Newcombe

Hampton Elementary School Principal Patrice Merendina resigned from her position at the September 25 meeting of the Board of Education. Ms. Merendina has served as the school’s principal since July of 2024.

Many of those present at the meeting expressed their appreciation for Ms. Merendina and their remorse in her decision. “I have been offered and accepted a position with Norwich Public Schools,” Merendina wrote in a letter to parents. “In order to reach my professional goals, it is necessary for me to accept the position of Coordinator of State Initiatives to work on supervision, evaluation, family engagement, extended learning programs, assessment, and equity. This administrative position will also allow me to work in the area of supporting teacher recruitment through alternative routes to certification, teacher duration, and mentorship.”

During her brief tenure, Merendina worked to improve test scores, reorganize staffing, and streamline procedures. Notably, she was a visible presence in classrooms and at community functions, and encouraged involvement of students and their families in the community.

The Gazette joins the community in thanking Ms. Merendina for her service and wishing her well in her future career.

As the Congregational Church completes the commemoration of its 300th anniversary, a celebration of its past, the congregation looks forward to the future. The second oldest church in Connecticut, this historic institution, originally a meeting house, now the United Church of Christ, understands the treasure and the tradition it has inherited, while embracing today’s world.

“We, the congregants of the Hampton Congregational Church, have come together to worship God since 1723,” their philosophy states. “Recognizing insensitivities and prejudices that segments of our society experience, we want it known that we extend welcome to all.”

This is their vision. And their minister, Paula Mehmel, is the perfect pastor to support it.

While I’ve attended a number a services since Pastor Paula’s arrival here a year ago, and have been mightily impressed with her sermons, this is the first time we’ve actually met. She introduces herself with a picture on her social media page of the snowy landscape in Antarctica where she’s wearing a penguin costume beneath a banner that reads – Protect Trans Lives – and tells me, “This is everything you need to know about me”. I’ve been following her page ever since, and am equally impressed with the words of wisdom she shares there with others.

Pastor Paula started her ministry in her native Minnesota, where she served for three years, and then moved to North Dakota where she served as a minister for 25 years. We share some of our experiences with the Native Americans of that region, and my heart is warmed with her respect and concern for these marginalized people, our nation’s first. She came to Connecticut when her two sons were at Harvard; she knew they would remain on the east coast. Here she served as a Lutheran minister for five years in Hartford, retiring after 33 years in the ministry.

Retirement offers more time and freedom for one of her several loves: travel. With her recent trip to Antarctica, she can make the claim that she’s visited all seven continents, and perhaps is the only pastor who has slept in a tent in all seven of them, including Antarctica, and has a photograph to prove it. She is also probably the only pastor who wore a penguin costume while there.
She also has more time for charitable works. She is part of the South Sudan Leadership and Community Development, whose mission is to “nurture and equip South Sudanese Refugees to build healthy and hopeful communities through sustainable co-operatives, women’s empowerment and peace building initiatives.”

“It’s a passion of mine,” she says of her work with refugees from South Sedan in refugee camps in Uganda.

Retirement also affords her more time to explore her art, to employ her considerable talent, knowledge and personal experience to assist others with their struggles. Having earned a degree in English and a doctorate in preaching, Pastor Paula hosts a pod cast, “Relentless Grace”, for those “who are seeking an authentic unbridled faith connection with Jesus that is relevant in the 21st Century,” and is currently writing a book about the death of her ex-husband. Seven years after their divorce, she held his hand while he died of illnesses related to alcoholism. The book, she says, is about how to divorce a disease, and not the person with it.

These would seem enormous undertakings for most, but Paula has “the heart of a pastor” and missed serving a parish. The United Church of Christ here in Hampton proved a “great fit” – a part time position, with one Sunday a month to herself. Importantly, she loves Hampton, the congregation and the community, admires the sense of history and pride here, and appreciates this “welcoming place”.

“Whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey of faith”, their vision states, “know that you are welcome here.”

As an “open and affirming” Church, the congregation believes: “we are called to love one another and ourselves as whole persons”; respects “the worth and dignity of all persons”; celebrates and honors “human relationships based on love, respect and responsibility toward one another”; and promises “to support one another in our personal struggles to understand and accept differences in one another.”

In other words, words written two thousand years ago:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ” —Mark 12: 31

Too often we forget, in our society of the last three hundred years, the diversity amongst ourselves, young and old, native of Hampton and newcomer, conservative, liberal, rich and poor. The centuries old church, the centerpiece of our colonial village, its rainbow ribbons decorating the façade, blending old traditions with new world views, serves as a model with its common goal: “a desire for community,” says Pastor Paula, “and a spiritual focus in life.”

Dayna McDermott

Laureen Gosselin is a self-avowed “doer,” so when retirement and the pandemic coincided, she looked to volunteering to fill her time. Retiring from a “stressful” career, Laureen had two requirements for herself. She wanted something fun and free from stress. The opportunity arose when the library was closed to the public during the pandemic. Laureen was able to contribute during “lockdown” by doing whatever was needed. Shelving books and general cleaning kept her busy and helped our community at Fletcher as well. It was a win-win. Fueled by Laureen’s passion for reading and a love for the library and gardening, she provided assistance to our staff and many patrons.

Since the pandemic, Laureen’s favorite part of volunteering has been her interactions with patrons- especially when asked for book suggestions! She especially enjoys helping with the children at the library with their reading and story time. Laureen feels like she is continuing with a circle of giving and honoring the fond memories of coming to the library as a child with her mother.

When another need arose at Fletcher–maintenance of the gardens–Laureen stepped right in. After some initial help from her husband and a friend with trimming and mulching, Laureen is now tending all the plants on a weekly basis. The garden is her “happy place” and she enjoys her time there.

In addition, Laureen finished the arduous task of identifying all the plants, shrubs and trees so as to provide their proper care. She has completed the diagraming of all of the gardens for library records and taken photos of all of them in order to identify them and create labels for them. These records will allow others to care for and/or replace plants in the future. Laureen is proud to care for the gardens and hopes all enjoy them, especially our Certified Butterfly Garden.

Encouraging reading, creativity, and curiosity have always been important to Laureen. These are reflected in the painted pavers of book covers created by Laureen’s grandnieces that appear throughout the gardens. Her favorite is “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willims because the children love seeing that and then take out the book! The charming pavers are just one indication of the helpful hand and caring touch that personifies Laureen Gosselin

Beth Regan

An article in the Hartford Courant written by Pearl Scarpino titled “Hampton’s First Pounds Kept Roamers, No Dogs”, reported on a dog pound built, appropriately, on Old Town Pound Road at the home of Maurice Edwards, the dog warden. The article, however, mostly detailed the long ago need for pounds in agricultural towns such as ours for wandering cattle and other farm animals, notably “horses, asses, mules, sheep, geese, or swine”.

The Town Pound was on the corner of Old Town Pound Road, named for its public use, and Parsonage Road. It was constructed of wood in 1743 and operated by the Sessions family, who lived on what was then “Sessions Road”, which was changed after the new minister, Ludivicus Weld, purchased the Sessions farm in 1795 for a parsonage.

In 1790, a town meeting voted to use stones to rebuild the wooden pound with “walls four feet thick at the bottom, two feet thick at the top, six feet high. Said wall to be bound across three feet from the ground with a tier of flat stones and also bound on the top with a tier of flat stones…with stikes of hewed timber 10 inches locked together on the top of said wall…with a good and sufficient gate four feet wide. Above said pound to be 30 feet square within said wall. Said stick of timber to be of chestnut…”

It was also voted to situate the pound where the “old one now stands”. Amos Utley was hired to build the structure for a rate of five pounds and 16 shillings, and in 1798, the stone pound was completed, thirty by thirty feet and ten feet tall. In 1821, the town voted to pay the pound keeper six cents for every time he locked, or unlocked, the pound. If the pound keeper received a larger fee than that, he would need to pay it to the Town treasury.

In 1833, the town adopted a bylaw to include specific penalties for impounded animals. The pound keeper was not to release an animal until receiving 18 cents for the animal, except sheep and geese, which were still six cents. Stiff penalties were also enacted if the animals were allowed to roam on the Sabbath, when a 50 cent fee was established for violations.

In a sign of the financial times, the law was revised in 1852, to allow anyone who did not “stand in the list” for over $15 to have one cow run loose on the public highway without a charge. The fee for other animals was raised to 25 cents, and the fee for sheep and geese was reduced to four cents.

After there was no longer the need to impound farm animals, the Burchnalls, who lived in what was once the parsonage, kept their pigs in the old pound. In 1918, it was dismantled, and the flat stones were used in the construction of a railroad bridge over Estabrooks Road for the portion of what is now the Airline Trail that runs parallel to Eleventh Section Road.

It’s probable that there was another pound on the south end of town, and former First Selectman Walt Stone claimed that there was one along South Bigelow Road, and there’s a substantial stone wall on the east side of South Bigelow north of Brooklyn Turnpike. The stone structure on the corner of South Bigelow and Cemetery roads was not a pound, but rather an enclosure for shoeing oxen to support these farm animals unable to stand on three legs.

It would be interesting to see if anyone can locate this second pound. After the foliage falls and the woods become clearer, look for a stone structure, with tall walls, approximately 30’ x 30’. Let us know what you find!

Dayna McDermott

Bob Burgoyne contributed to this article.

The Registrars of Voters have completed the Preliminary Registry List to be used in the November 5, 2024 Election and removed electors who have died, become disfranchised, or confirmed in writing a move out of town with a cancellation form or notification from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The names of electors removed since the November, 2023 Election are posted at their office at Town Hall, as well as the remedies for restoration to the list.

Absentee ballots become available at the Office of the Town Clerk beginning on October 3 during regular Town Hall hours. Completed applications and ballots may be mailed, or delivered, to the Town Clerk or placed in the secured deposit box at the top of the ramp at Town Hall.

The Registrars of Voters will hold a registry session on October 18, from 9AM to 8PM in their office at Town Hall for the purpose of registering voters who appear in person. The deadline for mail-in applications is also October 18. Hand-delivered mail-in registration applications must be received by the Registrars of Voters, or a voter registration agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, on this date, and mail-in registration applications must be post-marked by this date, in order for applicants to be entitled to participate in the November 5, 2024 Presidential Election.

Early Voting and Same Day Registration will occur on October 21-28 and 30, and November 1 – 3, between 10AM and 6PM, and October 29 and 31 from 8AM to 8PM, in the Registrars’ Office at Town Hall. Electors may vote during this period, and individuals may register and vote in person if they meet the eligibility requirements of electors.

Dayna McDermott-Arriola and Sulema Perez-Pagan

Dear Auntie Mac,

Unlike last month’s young voter, I’m too old for the political activism of my youth, though I find myself in a similar circumstance. I’m old, I live alone, and when people say intolerable things, I find myself balancing a need to “do something” with a need to protect myself. Should I – keep my mouth shut, or open it? I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to die with any more regrets than I already have!
Any advice is appreciated,

Hippie in Spirit

My Dear Neighbor:

Several years ago, Auntie Mac met up with an elderly acquaintance who had just spent her 90th birthday at a March on Washington. She shook her head and said, “I marched for this fifty years ago; I didn’t think I’d have to do it again. But I did.” The look she gave me was one of disbelief and regret, but also of unwavering purpose.

It was clear she viewed her participation as not just an expression of her personal views but as a moral obligation that went far beyond her, and indeed into future generations. I daresay she had more chance of being trampled to death by thousands of her banner-wielding compatriots than you have of being harmed by voicing your objection to intolerable speech. Are you fearful that, living alone, you may be subject to physical attack should you speak out? Do these assumed threats come from within our town, or do you imagine some offended zealot in Western Somewhere finding out where you live and paying you a visit? Based on the picture you paint, Auntie Mac wonders what polarizing and razor-sharp retort you have hidden up your sleeve that you dare not unleash on the unsuspecting public, for fear of damage to your person. Could you not, then, for your own peace of mind, consent to a happy medium–somewhere between hiding under the sofa and raining hellfire down on those with whom you differ? Perhaps, if this is to be an in-person exchange, you might start with something like, “Excuse me, but I find that the way you’re speaking about X is completely unwarranted and nothing more than name-calling. Please don’t do so in front of me.” If you are considering letters to the editor or other written expression, on the other hand, a measured, diplomatic and fact-filled response is in no way capitulating to name-callers and conspiracy-peddlers. It is simply ignoring what is unimportant–or, at least positing the unimportance or uselessness of the “intolerable” remark and then moving on to a discussion of ideology, policies, track records, etc. It is not up to you to respond one-against-one to someone’s boorish posturing. That makes no sense and wastes everyone’s time. You simply mention that baseless claims and willful ignorance have no place in civil conversations, and proceed to outline which points you wish to make.

Auntie Mac does so hope you do have points to make, dear, and are not merely appalled at the current state of discourse in our country and want to say “Now, cut that out!” without experiencing a round of buckshot through the curtains.

As I have said before, and as you know, in your heart of hearts, whatever your views are, you are not alone. Respect your convictions. As my elderly acquaintance (or the philosopher Hillel) might say, “If not you, who? If not now, when?”

Your Auntie Mac

Every year, the Gazette, as the town newspaper, feels obligated to take a poll at the Fall Festival, and so we ask an annual local, state and national question, avoiding the topic of the “polls” we are inundated with this time of year – political ones. Here are the results of this year’s.

Hampton Poll: Do you think Hampton needs senior housing?
Of the 30 people participating, seven, or 23%, answered “no”, while 23, or 77% answered “yes”, though one person who supports senior housing stipulated, “but don’t develop open space indiscriminately”.

State Poll: What is your favorite fall fair in Connecticut?
Four people voted for our own Hampton Harvest Fair, one person voted for Guilford, another for Durham, six people voted for the Woodstock Fair, two for the Big E, and the favorite – the Brooklyn Fair, with ten votes. The Brooklyn Fair, which also holds the distinction of the oldest agricultural fair in the country, can add this to their list of superlatives.

National Poll: Good news regarding the November Presidential Election, in which 16 people said they were more likely to vote, no one said they were less likely to vote, 22 people chose “I always vote” as their option, and no one selected “I never vote”. If only the entire nation was this patriotic!

When we first begin gardening, our borders are so tidy, so orderly. Tall perennials in the center, cotton-candy branches of filipendula in spring, stalks of summer’s balloon flowers, autumn’s New England asters in deep purple and raspberry pink, surrounded with sunny clumps of coreopsis and later, the striking black-eyed Susans, stitched in with a carpeting rim of pastel creeping phlox early in the season, interspersed with cranberry saucers of sedum for the fall. And dirt, or the mulch we use to try to suppress the weeds, is very visible, and entails quite a lot of weeding.

Our intent, of course, is for those empty spaces to fill in, for those flowers to spread, seed themselves. We hear gardeners complain of overcrowding and the need to give away plants, and we look forward to that time, a time when our gardens will ripple from one end of the border and the season to the next with a steady stream of flowers. All at once this seems to happen. We notice that the leaves emerging in spring have grown to touch one another, the unfurling foliage of hosta, of columbine and lady’s mantle ruffles, plump mounds of catmint and candy tuft, tendrils of geranium, all stitching the garden’s edge together; and then the summer, when the bountiful flowers of daisies and lilies and bee balm have nothing between them except air. Perfection.

And then, another season, or a few, and we’re faced with a different condition – varieties which have grown rampant, trampling certain specimens, or in extreme cases obliterating them with their omnipresence, strength, exuberance, shall we call it – bullying? And we’re left wondering — why didn’t we see this coming? What happened to the primrose? The echinacea? The chrysanthemum? After several years of gardening, I have plenty of examples. In some places, I’ve promised to keep the rampant plants in perennial check. In other gardens, I’ve needed to eradicate the culprit completely. And in one case, I’ve been forced to give in to a plant’s aggressiveness.

There is only one artemesia that I find invasive – the variegated variety. It has its seasonal charm, yellow foliage striped chartreuse and lime to compliment lavender creeping phlox and daffodils. Shortly after this stellar performance, it reverts to green and spreads everywhere, so I mercilessly remove it, leaving a clump to return the following spring. This method of removal also applies to the ferns which have planted themselves beneath the butterfly bush. Because nothing else will grow there, I allow them to remain underneath the umbrella of silver-leaved limbs; however, their rapid encroachment on everything else forces me to continuously eradicate them throughout the season in this garden. Rampancy usually depends on the spot. Where the gooseneck loosestrife grows in the shade, it behaves itself, but it becomes obnoxious if it extends beyond that boundary and into the sun where it needs to be removed early, or late, in the season as I haven’t the heart to destroy it when it’s in bloom. Pervasiveness also depends on companions. I love the way that phlox swaps seeds, so that the original magenta, rose and white varieties now come in multiple shades of pink, and are perfect where they cavort with the equally rambunctious obedient plant, but not where they threaten the sedums and the daisies. The one plant I’ve given into is the variegated bamboo. Its vow to remain non-invasive lasted for over ten years, and then in one season it spread over the entire garden, leaving me time only to salvage the other flowers that were there. It’s really a lovely plant, with blades of gold and chartreuse which look attractive throughout the winter, so it has its own large garden now, circling the trunks of a willow, a hazel, and a golden dogwood, the only plants to survive its muscle.

There are some perennials that self-sow profusely which I can’t have enough of — mullein pink with its spurts of magenta, the balloon flowers that thoroughly transform the summer garden with their globes of indigo, mauve and shell pink, the lady’s mantle that extends its soft gray-green foliage and ephemeral chartreuse froth along the garden’s margins. Siberian iris, which I allow its own space because its seed swapping tendencies produce a myriad of different colored blossoms. There are some perennials whose rampancy is simple to control, like the creeping veronica, tiny china blue blossoms hovering over the garden in spring like a heavenly vapor, which I remove immediately after flowering. And the perennial geranium which controls itself, its tendrils hosting blossoms of pale to deep pink or purple or blue winding politely around existing plants without intruding upon them.

Certain herbs are notoriously invasive, and so the herb garden is not always simple to maintain. The tender herbs, such as basil, sage, sweet marjoram, culinary thyme, dill, simply can’t compete with the aggressive varieties of chives, oregano, creeping thymes, mint, lemon balm. Designing an herb garden that separates the rambunctious herbs from the frailer ones is the best way to cultivate all of them, none of which I would do without.

Conversely, invasive wildflowers are infrequent. Two exceptions are turtlehead, named for the shape of its pink or white blossom cresting stiff stems, and native aster, billowy bouquets in white, pale pink, lavender, and myriad blues. While I value these for their contributions to pollinators and the early fall garden, the turtlehead forming a wall in a few gardens, the asters creating clouds of the most heavenly hues, I must temper their encroachment on other flowers, weeding them in the spring when they emerge. Tall stalks of milkweed and the mauve tufts of the self-sowing Joe-Pye weed, shimmering sheaves of golden rod, bushels of black-eyed Susans and sunny daisies, cinquefoil, with its gentlest of yellows flowers, and veils of Queen Anne’s lace – these contribute so much to the garden in summer. And when they’re spent at the end of the season and have dispersed ample seeds, removing them is only an annual task.

Truth is I pretty much leave plants alone and let them have their way, dealing with the wayward ones when I must, rolling up my sleeves in early spring, mid-summer, or late fall to unceremoniously pull the offenders and discard them in the woods in order to preserve the coreopsis, the “silver mound”, the catmint, and restrain the loosestrifes, the bee balm, the phlox. Co-existence of diversity can be difficult to achieve. We learn this in politics and in the garden. But it’s possible.

Dayna McDermott