One of the things I have been wanting to explore is the emotional aspect of a garden. I was talking to my sister today and I mentioned how grateful I was for a space like we are blessed with today.
It doesn't really matter how many gardening credentials you have or if you are simply a lover of flowers and pretty things; whether you spend a ton of money on your garden, or swap seeds from others; whether you can afford a gardener to do it for you or whether you take pleasure in doing it yourself, there is something for everyone in a garden.
I think the best thing about a garden is that everyone gets something different from it. God has blessed the world with so much beauty, and all you have to do is open your eyes and see it.
The emotional aspects of gardening and nature cannot be overlooked. What is the cost of a smile brought on by the sight of a beautiful flower? Or the happy memory of a childhood garden? Your first corsage for prom, or your first delivered flowers?
So many emotions are tied to nature and especially flowers. The honeysuckle can immediately send me back to childhood, building giant bird nests from the cut branches with my little sister in our backyard while Dad smoked his pipe and Mom brought in the laundry, warm and sweet-smelling from the clothesline.
Or my aqua blue carnation prom corsage, where I had to ask the guy (the first one cancelled at the last minute). How my 'date' was so nervous he couldn't pin on the corsage, so he fumblingly gave it to me to pin on myself (the pin poked me all night long, and bled through the inside of my gown).
The stocks and carnations my Mom would buy for my Dad's and Grandparent's gravestones. How she would lovingly clean off the gravestones and send me to fill up the jar with water so the flowers would last longer. When we left, it looked like somebody cared. I'm happy to say now that my Mom has finally joined my Dad in heaven my sister has carried on that tradition with my parents and grandparent's gravestones, bringing her famous sweet peas for them to remember. They were Mom's favorite. And my little sister and I standing at our little brother's grave, strewing rose petals and promises of forever love to a little brother we never got to know.
The wedding flowers of a bouquet; the shy present of an admirer; the flowers that came at my Father's funeral, signaling an end to my youth and innocence.
The delicate tea cup and saucer, china-painted in soft hues, holding REAL violets, sent to me by a co-worker when I was going through a really rough time, that simply said, "thinking of you". No one really understands how important that was to me that day, and still.
My sister's sharing of their gardens every time they come to my home. I am blessed with their garden glories to enjoy in my home. While in the past, they have had flowers sent to me, the ones I treasure the most are from their hand.
How my dearest husband used to bring me flowers every week at a job I was struggling in. Or just bringing me beautiful flowers, on so many countless occasions, just because he was thinking of me, and wanted me to remember how special I am to him. How he and our son would go out for breakfast on the weekends on the motorcycle and leave me the morning to sleep in... only to return, yellow roses lovingly tucked between them on the bike.
These are but a few ramblings of my flower memories. I am sure when you think back, there are quite a few of your own. Take my advice and take those memories out every once in a while and dust them off and relive them all over again... like a garden, it is good for the soul.
Sharon Bloom is an avid genealogist, award-winning artist and the Editor of 'Share Our Garden', a free daily blog which offers readers the opportunity to share their garden, plus inspirations, gardening tips, recycled art projects, recipes and DYI crafts. You can sign up at http://www.shareourgarden.blogspot.com, and see beautiful photos of gardens from around the world, get wonderful recipes with photos and instructions, gardening tips and articles plus much much more.
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