There was a time when I was nimble in the garden...
it went on for years and years, and they were glorious times.
First of all, when the children were young and we were raising a family I kept my nimbleness in check and was content with a few Peonies, a willow tree, some Iris and always the Blaze Rose!!!
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We had thirty acres there, on a hillside, and our house was located half way up the hill. I had a yen to line the roadway with hollyhocks, as our house had been when I was growing up, but I received very little support for this idea, and the only hollyhocks I have had in all these years are some which volunteer at our back gate, facing the lane.
It was apparent that nobody in the family had experienced the joy of making ball gowns from hollyhock blooms, for clover headed dolls, as I had when young, and with my bestest friend!!!
We were on the farm for almost forty years, but when we moved to town we had three acres of land - pasture for horses (where we eventually grew tomatoes, having no horses then) and just all the room a gardener would wish for, - of which I took great advantage!
The header on my blog is a picture of the bed which lined the street, and I think it probably includes the great log fence that Charles built to protect the flower beds from passers-by. and to define the street lawn.
We grew all sorts of wonderful flowers there, - lilies and peonies and snowball bushes, and flax and poppies and delpinium, - oh, I could go on and on..... It was a gardener's heaven, and always being an early riser I would be able to get an hour or two in the morning garden, with the long shadows and the cool early morning air., - all this before Charles arose for breakfast......
Eventually we moved away, - bought a smaller mobile home and placed it
on our son's property.
There was no garden at first, but we soon took delivery of a few
truck's full of top soil, and planted trees and shrubs
and lots of flowers!!
We got older, alas, - as we all do if we are lucky, - but it seemed the time for us to move back to town, and we were lucky enough to find a lovely little house, with a beautiful garden, and room for looms, as well!!! Our son and daughter-in-law own the house, but I indulge myself in the garden, with the help of family, and the dear one who looks down from heaven and gives directions!!!
This is the owl my sister made for me, many, many years ago, to watch over all our gardens, and here he sits amongst the greenery!!
So this is the lovely garden I have now, - just a few pictures. There is a blue delphinium, lots of shasta daisies a Mister Lincoln Rose, and of course, as always, a Blaze.
Life is good, but I'm here to tell you, I am not as nimble in the garden as I once was. I stop more often and rock a bit in the garden swing and have a swig of lemonade, and Bruce sits with me and we contemplate the white rose on Callie's grave, and miss her......
6 comments:
"If you don't sit down in the garden and enjoy it then all that work's just going to waste!" - Old Bert, with whom I worked for several years.
You have had many beautiful gardens! What a green thumb you have! All of your hard work has paid off. Thanks for sharing your lovely pictures!
Some of my most beautiful gardens are memories. The present desire to plant and tend is somewhat hampered by balking knees!
Every place you've lived you have surrounded yourself with beauty. Thanks for sharing the wonderful photos.
I love the gardens with the mountains in the background. I remember well the hollyhocks of my childhood home...hollyhocks and bumblebees in the corner of the backyard fence and the washhouse. I have a few coming along in my garden now.
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