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.