Photo by Jessica Walliser |
I made two batches of strawberry jam last week and am looking forward to a nice harvest of snap peas to nestle into the freezer. Homemade tomato soup is months away but, thankfully, we still have a few bags in the freezer from last year.
June is also a beautiful time for the perennial gardens.
Many years ago, a gardening friend moved from the home where she had gardened for twenty-odd years. She was kind enough to invite me over to “share” some of her treasures before she left them behind.
She was quite the plant collector and had many wonderful plants. I imagine her new garden is just as beautiful as her old one, though I have never seen it.
Many of the plants she shared with me have become favorites, especially because when I look at them, I think of her. Those are always my favorite plants … the ones with a story, the ones connected to a person, the ones that somehow played a role in my life.
I have many plants with a history of sorts. Lilies of the valley from my Nana’s garden, iris from a former client, strawberry plants from my friend’s son, roses from my business partner and ornamental grasses from my mother’s garden.
There are other elements, too, that grace my garden with a personal connection; a bird bath from an amazing friend, a container that held a flower arrangement at my wedding, a concrete handprint from my son.
My garden is mine because these things make it special to me. They may not be spectacular or rare, but they are treasured just the same.
