Archives: My Little Garden

Growing up, my parents had a BIG back yard. Dad loved being in it, shaping it, nurturing it. He would spend countless hours outside working, sweating, mowing, trimming, soaking up the sun. He often went through multiple sweat bands, squeezing out the moisture and hanging them up to dry. He would finally come back inside, tired, sweaty, dirty, arms bloodies by thorns, not caring. Feeling very satisfied. A big glass of ice water and a hot shower and he was refreshed, rejuvinated.

His big rose garden was just a small section of that big yard. His other flowers included lilacs, lilies, magnolia, iris, wisteria and more. He had fruit trees, blackberries, and enough raspberries to feed all of us and still have plenty for the relatives to pick for jam. He had plenty of trees: pine, maple, weeping willow, honey locust. But because I was just a kid, I mainly saw all of the work involved, so didn't appreciate it early on. Mom loved the garden too, but mainly via the cut flowers Dad would bring inside.

These days, at my condo, I have a small garden strip... and I love it. It is mainly flowers, although I did plant some fruit last fall. Like Dad, I enjoy sitting in the dirt of my garden. But I would rather study the beauty of those lovely flowers with my camera than spend all weekend weeding. I love exploring the shapes, colors, textures, and the surprising details. 

So my small garden is just right. And I am always excited for the next batch of flowers to begin blooming! These images are from the last three years or so. More to come!