Flower Beds

My Mama had a green thumb. One of my favorite pictures of her is with her straw hat tied under her chin, smiling as she returned from the garden with a pail of produce. She is wearing a nice blouse so she must have been gathering something for a meal or to share.

When we moved to the State Center farm in March 1961(?), I remember Mama exploring the yard as things began to grow in the spring. I remember her excitement in finding Sweet Peas growing along a fence. The fence was eventually taken out and the sweet peas must have gone with it because they weren't there in later years. She inherited a huge yellow Rose bush and Hollyhocks framed the garage and corners of the garden. She often added flowers from her friend's gardens and lovingly divided her flowers to share with others. She created long rows of Peonies and Iris that were fragrant and colorful for a few weeks before summer. She helped all of her daughters start their own flower beds, allowing us to take a part of her with us wherever we lived.

I'm missing that opportunity now as I begin to establish new flower beds here. In June I planted annuals along the sidewalk and in a few pots to add some quick color to our yard. Now, I am thinking more of perennials so we can enjoy them every year. I think of Mama as I choose flowers for our new beds and will include some that she loved. I hope to find a deep purple Iris, the light purple Iris that smells like grape, and the burgundy/mauve one that smells like root beer, too. I wish I had made time to gather some from our acreage before we left.

I will also try some new things. I planted several varieties of grass in the new beds. It will be interesting to see how they work with the flowers. I love bright colors so I've included lots of blue and red as well as some of the traditionals like Black-eyed Susans, Salvia, Daylilies and Coneflowers. I hope to keep the beds low maintenance but time will tell.

"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more" (Psalm 103:15-16 NIV).