Upon rereading the Harry Potter series, I’m starting to wonder. Maybe I’m more like Professor Sprout. She spends much of her time in the Hogwarts greenhouses; I like to “play in the dirt,” as my family says. Prof. Sprout always seems to have dirt on her somewhere; at this time of year, there’s always dirt under my nails or on my jeans or on my shirt. She wears a standard witch hat – almost. Her hat has a patch on it; mine is a baseball cap sporting the phrase “What happens in the garden stays in the garden.”

Professor Sprout’s favorite fertilizer is dragon dung. I’ll pass on that and use my own compost. I used used llama manure to make compost tea; it works quite well, and llamas don’t breathe fire.

Pomona Sprout is head of Hufflepuff House. Hufflepuff plays a supporting role in most of the books. While Gryffindor battles Slytherin for the House Cup and the Quidditch championship, Hufflepuff takes the “anyone but Slytherin” attitude, cheering on Gryffindor’s successes. I’m fine in supporting roles; actively supporting politicians is a hobby of mine. Running for office? Not interested.

Am I more Sprout than MacGonagall? She’s easier to spell, I’ll grant that. I think I’ll put a few seeds in pots and ponder this concept. Pass the dragon dung.