Little
things seem nothing ~ but they give peace, like those meadow flowers
which
individually seem odorous ~ yet, altogether, perfume the air.
(Georges
Behamos)
It all depends on your purpose! Is it a forced activity, depending
on circumstance? Is it an opportunity to develop, to expand on, to
create unimaginable colour and beauty? My mother, during the Great
Depression, had such decision to make. Her country garden was a
sight to behold ~ and the outcome she could not have predicted. A
long, narrow garden sided the country lane. A lover of dahlias and
gladioli, she carefully over-wintered in our cool dirt-floor
basement, Then in the spring, she replanted and labelled them for
identification. Mixed with the soil was manure from the barn ~ and
patiently, she watched their growth. Neighbours dropped by for a cup
of tea, just to observe her 'glads' and dahlias ~ yet to them, Mom's
purpose was not revealed.
Cemetery Day, a yearly celebration was mid-August when country-folk
decorated graves and friendly-visited others honouring 'those who had
passed.' My mother was most skillful in designing floral sprays
adorned with asparagus greenery.; and neighbours would pre-order
arrangements for their kin and pay Mom accordingly. And then when
country fairs opened in September and October, she submitted her
autumn floral bouquets for judging ~ frequently cash money for first,
second, or third placement in the judges' eyes. To her, gardening
was not a necessity ~ it was a pleasure to give these bulbs
opportunity to claim use, beauty and often necessaary cash for house
and home winter expenses.
My incentive for relating this experience, was a colour photo of
someone's garden with dahlias abloom
in a garden of green grassy growth. The garden setting fronted a
stylish white stucco building. A sturdy tall trunk forced its
branches into the blue cloudless sky.
The joy to Mom was the given pleasure to her success of garden
flowers.
* * * * * * *
To Linda and Brian who reside on Hamilton's Tragina Avenue,
their garden is a legacy. They've been growing it for 34 years.
their garden is a legacy. They've been growing it for 34 years.
It's a place of family memories ~ a living scrapbook.
Their garden had constantly changed to meet the needs of four growing
boys.
When Rob Howard (a garden writer, speaker and garden coach) visited,
he found a delightful back garden under a Sunburst locust tree close
to the house. At the rear, a hot direct sun around a salt-water
pool. Throughout there's a great mix of foliage together with
perennials, annuals, vines and containers.
In a separately fenced area, the sun sparkled off a 'hump-back
lagoon' pool.
Of interest to me was a large grey stone face nestled among vines;
the eyes are closed as in silent meditation as the mind and soul both
savour the spirit the garden inspires.
Their garden is a living scrap-book of the couple's life together
which has grown and changed with their family.
Remember that children, marriages and flowers reflect
the kind of care they get. (H. Jackson Brown)
Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr...July 14, 2018
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