A Garden: More Than a Space

When I began my garden in January of 2006, I was doing it for me. It was a totally selfish self indulgence. It never occurred to me the effect it would have on the neighborhood, or on my family. I didn't anticipate the memories it would hold.

My yard has definitely become a focal point of the neighborhood. People stop to tell me how lovely it is. They wave at me. Sometimes they tell me about gardens they have known. In the fall, they stop by to get pears from my back yard.

This is the first year these daffodils have bloomed. My daughter Jennifer and her children helped me to plant them. Whenever I walk past that flower bed, I remember that we planted the irises and daffodils in this bed together. To me, that memory is stronger than it would be just looking at a photo.

The garden has also played an integral part in the visit with my grandchildren this week. It has been a year and a half since Jen and her children have been able to make it down from Kansas. I anticipated the children playing video games all day long, which is what they have done in the past. Instead, they have spent many hours playing outside in the yard. One of the highlights for my grandson Jeffery was finding a gecko when he dismantled my gecko castle, a stack of bricks on one side of the yard. To me, it has felt like I have been able to give them a piece of my own childhood, a taste of days gone by. But then, if we are living them now, they aren't gone, are they!

This afternoon, to my surprise, the garden once again played a central part in the day. We had an egg hunt for the children this afternoon, because Jen has to leave in the morning. What better place to hide eggs than in a garden! The children were scampering all over the yard. It was a delightful experience.