Ruth Goodwin and Edie Wolfe are the best of friends.

Under most circumstances, you can be sure that one of them thinks, the other does as well.

About cooking, child raising, Carding politics, quilting, dogs…the important things in life.

But there is one subject on which they seldom agree.

Gardening.

Ruth, you see, is a woman born to believe that the botanical denizens in her yard are there to be controlled. In high summer, you’ll see her in the yard plucking weeds out of the ground before the sun has completely cleared the horizon.
To Ruth, items not planted or planned by her are weeds—no matter how low-care they are.

Edie is far more relaxed.

To her, violets are a welcome spring present. Ferns add an airy quality to her primroses and bachelor buttons.

And Queen Ann’s Lace should be part of every summer garden.

“After all,” she reminds the apoplectic Ruth whenever she sees this white princess growing among Edie’s bee balm, “a weed in the garden is called a perennial. And where else can I find something so pretty that takes care of itself.”