So, my mom pretty much has the most beautiful garden around. It didn't start out this way. No, it was just a patch of ordinary field that first transformed into a vegetable garden. While I lived at home, my mom planted, maintained and harvested fresh food to put on our table. I remember picking beans and running out to gather some lettuce for a salad that night. I remember digging mounds of potatoes and storing them for the winter in our well house. It was full of goodness and variety and magic.
After my sister and I left home, the garden was more than what my parents needed to feed the two of them and so it was downsized. They kept rhubarb, potatoes and a few rows of peas. My mom knew that Sean liked peas, so she kept them going for a while ...he's so spoiled! In place of the vegetables, a few flowers were planted. A few more shrubs grew up and a few trees were moved into the garden. It grew more and more magical.
As the various plants and trees grew and took up space, tiny garden trinkets started showing up in the garden. Our visits to the farm included a mandatory stroll through the garden to discover its treasures. At the time, my girls were very young (two and three) and they adored Gramma's Garden. They spent hours looking at leaves and smelling flowers. They were mesmerized by Papa's handmade windmill. Their little feet padded through the paths that were being laid in the form of various forms of brick and stone. Paths that took them through delightful colors and aromas. Each visit produced cries of, "Look at that Mama!" and sure enough, they would discover a new ceramic frog or dangling bird house. At the end of the path, a chair awaited us, under the tree. Perfect for sipping some tea while watching and listening to the birds that also visited this magical place.
Now, the tallest flowers reach closer to the sky than I do! As I look across a sea of brilliant color, the memories of this garden rest deep within my heart. Last summer, my dad drew up plans and built a gazebo for tranquil escapes to the back of the garden. Shaded by trees and surrounded by the sweet smelling flowers, the gazebo is a true labour of love and, yes... so magical.
If only I had a magic garden...
