GRANDMOTHER'S FLOWER GARDENS

I think about my grandmother more than I realized. She is entwined in much of what I am and how I do things.

I recently had a mini conversation with someone named Lisa. I was trying to get a feel for what her 1927 house looked like. I spotted what I was sure was her on a website called: VPIKE.COM. Type in the address and it will show you the house you are looking for.

While looking for her house, I found one that had a flower garden in the front. Since she is very creative, I was certain it was hers. Like me, she isn't into flowers and lawn.

Her grandmother, Ella, was a great flower lady, as was my grandmother, Julia. Both of them would take you outside to look at the flower garden, it was part of the visitation. Ella had petunias growing along the sidewalk from the curb to the front step. I mostly remember deep pink single petunias which were almost bush like.

Grandma Julia had holly hocks along the garden fence. She showed me how to pick a bud and a blossom and with a tooth pick, make a doll. She also had morning glories and 4 o'clocks, (and I still don't know the difference), on the fence surrounding her garden.

My step grandmother had a garden devoted just to gladioli. In the front of her house, she had tiger lilies, on the side, snap dragons. We made puppets out of the snap dragons. Most of the flowers were seeds; the bulbs were dug up in the fall and replanted so they didn't freeze.

I wonder if Lisa and I, both creative in our own way, are so into projects with quicker results that gardening and watching hasn't become a natural for us. Are we missing something?