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“Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow. All it takes is a rake and a hoe, and a piece of fertile ground.”
The song is sung all over the world and has been recorded by at least 150 artists, including Arlo Guthrie, Maria Muldaur, and The Muppets.
“I was surprised by how it took off,” said Mallett, who lives in tiny Sebec, Maine. “It was such a simple thing. That was about 1974 or ’75. I knew a lot of people who were going back to the land and doing organic farming. The song was a gift to the back-to-the-land movement.”
He’ll play in Olympia tonight, his first visit here since the 1990s. “It’s a beautiful town,” he said, and he has fond memories of his last visit to Traditions Cafe.
“I had a great time,” he said. “It was a really interesting crowd that came. It was a great vibe.”
Asked if he has a favorite version of “Garden Song” — including his own, which first appeared on his 1978 debut album and is also on last year’s highlights collection “Greenin’ Up” — he said it’s tough to choose.
“I like them all,” he said. “Every time I hear it, I like hearing it.
“One of my favorites is Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy’s, recorded in the ’80s. They made it a popular song in Ireland.”
Mallett began his career at age 11, forming a folk duo with his brother.
“I always knew I was going to be a singer,” he said. “From the moment I could talk, I was always singing.
“What led me to folk was the appeal of the acoustic guitar. This was the late ’50s, early ’60s, when you could make an act with a guitar and a voice.”
He’s been going strong ever since, releasing 15 albums and writing songs that have been sung by Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Kathy Mattea and many others. He’s toured internationally and been a guest on NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
He was even named one of the century’s best Mainers by the Bangor Daily News.
“Mallett is a first-rate folk singer and writer,” Billboard’s Ed Morris wrote. “His portraits and townscapes are camera sharp, and his knowledge of his subjects is profound.”
One of Mallett’s favorite compliments came from Pete Seeger, he said. And it was thanks to “Garden Song.”
“I got a note from Pete Seeger,” Mallett said. “ ‘Great song. I’m singing it, and I’m changing a couple of words.’ And I was like, ‘That’s OK.’
“I’ve known Pete my whole adult life because of that song, and he’s a great guy.”
