Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Remembering old and dear friends in the garden...the joy of 'pass along' plants!

A walk through my garden finds so many plants that were gifts of friends, old and new, and the 'gifting' enhances so much of my enjoyment of the plants. As I walk by 'Cerise Queen' yarrow...(shown in the above photo) ...now growing in so many spots!....the memory of my Aunt 'Tine, my Daddy's only sister, who so loved everything 'garden'....comes sweetly to me.....like a fragrance on the breeze.

A view of sedum 'Autumn Joy' reminds me of Michael, a man of knowledge and many interests (he taught and did research at Vanderbilt University Medical School and is an avid gardener) who welcomed us to Middle Tennessee Daylily Society with this gift.

My first heuchera was a gift from Linda, across town, who is so kind and generous. There is a row of bearded iris from Margaret, a former postal customer, who had many lovely iris and limited space in her retirement village and just needed some of them 'to go to a good home'. There is black columbine from Gladene, 'Dragon's Blood' sedum from Cheryl, a crooked willow taken as a cutting from the old home place where I grew up ....courtesy of my Mom, and all the remnants of my husband's grandmother's planting of lilacs and daffodils 60+ years ago, when she tended some of this land we live on.

Last evening, at our spring daylily society meeting, I got a fragrant, white lilac from Emily, who got it from her husband's Mother's home in Vermont. I will happily choose it a place of honor among the other treasures. Every season brings new beauty and memories of all I've known and shared with these precious 'givers'. .....and as guests come to share the beauty of our garden, I'll grab a pot or bag, and a shovel....and say 'oh, here, you should have a small start of this for your garden'. A garden is truly a living thing!

This is Pilgrim's Choice, a SDB (standard dwarf bearded) iris....a gift last year from my daylily society buddy, Joyce, who has a beautiful garden in Mount Juliet, TN. Her garden is predominately daylily, but, she has incorporated such a variety of other interesting plants.....it's one of my top favorite places to visit.

Pilgrim's Choice was the second to bloom this season, and it is so pleasing to me situated at the end of my little rock garden. Directly behind it, the new foliage of an old heirloom (hardy) crysanthemun can be seen. It was the gift of a shy elderly neighbor, Cecil, who is no longer walking with us. He came knocking on my door one morning with this plant in a bucket....said it was a piece of his Mama's 'yellow flower' (it is really a bronze) and he wanted me to have some. I had known his Mother....she was quite the vegetable gardener....and it meant so much that he wanted to share with me. Now, walking past the plant, growing and flourishing in my garden, I smile and remember both of them....simple, good, people who once walked this earth....enjoying the feel of the soil in their hands. May they rest in the Peace of God.


This photo is Aurora Sea, a MDB (miniature dwarf beaded) iris. It is the first to bloom in our spring garden. I love it's color....it grows 7" tall and is at the front of a border....it's one of those that must be seen up close....I find so much beauty in it's 'tiny perfection'. I get most of my favorite iris, including this one, from Denise Stewart of Snowpeak Iris in Lebanon, Oregon. Denise is a great gal to order from....I met her originally when she bought a daylily from me on the Lily Auction. I've ordered from her for about 4 years and her plants are so strong and healthy.


4 comments:

Unknown said...

That's better now I could pick it. How wonderful to be able to walk through your gardens and remember your friends that gave you the flowers. Now I really wish we were across the fence. ;-) Even on our plant exchange day at garden club I took about 30-40 starts and all but about 2 forgot about it - so that was fun! NOT! I do have a couple of friends that we exchange things so that is so nice. Great post.

considerthelilies said...

Oh, thank you....really appreciate your tutoring...I wish we were 'across the fence'...think we'd find a real 'kindredness'....want to come on over and have a cup of coffee?...or is tea your drink?

tina said...

Hi there! I am always excited to meet another Tennessee blogger. There are a few of us and most have met or will at some point in time. I have posted about it. In fact, I think we all did on our respective blogs. It was a neat thing to get each other's perspectives.

I am in the Clarksville area which is about 3 hours from you I think. We are NW of Nashville. I do come thru Crossville all the time though. Well, not all the time but occasionally. My in-laws live in NC so we travel on I40. In fact, you all have that real big flea markt? I love it! Always try to stop to shop too. Makes the trip go by faster. If you ever come this way, let me know. I saw you visit MT Juliet sometimes. I too have SDB irises like your friend, and simply love them. I'll have a post on them soon. Sigh, so much to talk about in gardening I never seem to get it all posted and what I do post is quite time consuming. But we get to meet nice folks with like interests and so on. Do check out the other Tennessee bloggers. I have a few listed on my sidebar.

Now on to this post. What a nice post. I think all gardens are pieces of us and of life made all the more special by remembering the folks who were kind enough to share with us. I see you like Caramel too. It is outstanding! I am sticking with mostly the villosa hybrids now. And I also see someone gave you your first. A very good gardening friend indeed!

You take care. Enjoy this rain-it is bringing much needed love to the flowers. I actually got in a lawn mowing today in between rains. Hip hip hooray!

vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com said...

Greetings from Vermont!

Noticed your comment: "white lilac from Emily, who got it from her husband's Mother's home in Vermont."
Do you recall the town? Vermont is a little state with 256 different towns and some really nice gardens.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com
Vermont Flower Farm
http://vermontflowerfarm.com