My friendship garden

I have so enjoyed my flowers and garden this spring and summer. Even now in the stultifying heat, my daisies and day lilies as well as some late blooming irises are so beautiful. In part, the bounty of my garden comes from 13 years of work on the same bit of land with more dedicated efforts over the past 3 years or so, and Rosie’s efforts this spring. But an even larger part comes from the friends that so many of my plants represent. Knowing the history of my “friendship garden” (indoors and out) makes it so very precious to me.

I have to start with my Johnny White Irises, bright yellow bearded ones that have moved with me to three different houses and now live in two beds here. Then there’s Momma and Daddy’s bleeding heart (which isn’t really, but it has wonderful orange-red blossoms that the hummingbirds love late in the summer), and old fashioned pink climbing roses that cover two sides of the fence in the back yard, and the day lilies that are blooming as we speak that remind me of burgundy and yellow dwarves caps. There are Brent’s peonies, cherry trees and knock out roses with red double stuffed blossoms which he worked so hard on once I was a cancer survivor, out five years from our first go-round. And last year, Trina (combined with Rosie’s hard labor) provided the two most beautiful beds of irises (tiny yellow early bloomers, dark midnight blue dramatic flowers, and an orangey speckled one blooming now). I have Peds Care’s pink calla lily that was so pretty this spring and hydrangeas that are taking off as well. Then there’s my latest treasure: Rosie’s shade garden that she created this very spring, replete with a creek, ferns, hostas, cardinal flowers, mountain laurel and pulmonaria (also called ‘lung wart’ that I insisted on adding for obvious reasons!!!!).

Once inside, there’s Jenn’s bamboo, Jaynell’s (now HUGE) Christmas cactus, Ashley’s rose (which has been covered with beautiful pink blossoms!!), Momma’s mother-in-law’s tongue and aloe, Fred’s kalanchoe, Rosie’s beautiful teacup of moss, Ruthie’s African violets, and Kik’s philodendron. (Although these last two are a little different because the plants didn’t come from that source, rather, their containers did. Ruth painted pots bright blue, yellow, and red that I always keep violets in on my kitchen window sill and Kik made a mosaic covered plant stand on which my potted vine creeps.)

So while my plants are lovely, they have a much larger dimension as I think of all the friends and family who made them part of my life.
Thanks - c