Gardening At Night

I'm a 46 year old man and as I write that out I'm like whoa, how did that happen. But old man or not every night after everyone has gone to bed I go outside, turn on the hose, and water the plants. I water the ones up front by the window until I see the water cascade from the basket. When I can see all the leaves on the ground glisten and reflect light off the streetlights, I bring the hose round back and do those. Same thing. But I water the hanging plants at an angle so they spin; all the way until they have to spin back. 46? I'm barely 17.

(The Chenille plant is always withered at the end of the day, but by tomorrow morning it will have transformed.)

I trudge up to the deck on the garage and water those. I have to be careful not to drag the hose across the solar lights down below because then I have to find the tops in the dark. I water the plants on the ground from up above because I like to think they think it's rain and that I am a god. Also, it's easier. On the garage deck I have one of those upside down tomato planters. It's in its own stand. The yield has been terrible, but once or twice a week I pull off a red cherry and damn if in that moment I don't recognize it as a fruit. I deadhead the marigolds I think are dead, but it's hard to tell because it's dark. Once I'm done I pull up enough slack so I can put the sprayer on the ground before throwing down the rest of the hose. I've broken too many sprayers to know this is the only way. But before I go inside I listen to the whirring drone of air conditioners all around me and the jet that flies overhead. It is not a quiet time, but there is no one and that's nice. The song that goes through my head is just the chorus. 'Gardening at night, gardening at night, gardening at night'.