THIS PAGE: A Japanese willow blooms between two
pieces of lattice along the fence. The pond is home to koi, a
lotus, perennial water lilies and water hyacinth. OPPOSITE:
Throughout the garden are various found metal objects
Ritterbusch has scavenged over the years.
Change is Good
In the thirty-plus years since she started,
Ritterbusch’s garden has evolved organically.
The pond is a good example. “I started out
with a little tiny pond, one of those prefab
plastic ponds that you stick in the ground,
and some goldfish,” she says. “I was doing
Big Sisters at the time, and my little sister
helped me dig it.” Since that first iteration,
the pond has migrated, expanded several
times, and Ritterbusch has progressed from
goldfish to koi.
The brick path where the two Adirondack
chairs are located was a beautiful solution to
an unfortunate problem. One winter, a broken
wrist and torn rotator cuff limited her activity
and her ability to monitor her dogs’ activities
in the backyard. “There was one area where I
couldn’t grow anything, so I put in the path.”
Ritterbusch’s approach is fearless and
free-spirited. “Why not try it? If I don’t like it,
or the plant doesn’t like it, I look at the plant
and I say, ‘Sorry, it’s moving day,’ and I move it.”
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY/JUNE 2020 105