Every Garden is a Story

Social Media Perfect? So beautiful but all is not what it at first appears.

It seems to me, every garden is a story. Home to memories made and filled with hope for those to come.

I look around our garden and each tree, bush, flower, everything has its own history. From the many lavender plants – because I find it hard to leave a garden centre without one after happy days spent at the Norfolk Lavender farm, to our five cordon fruit trees, a gift from my parents.

In our garden peony flowers grow. Their perfume intoxicating, their beauty surely undeniable.

But, as a child, peonies never really entered my world. It wasn’t until my sister-in-law included them in her wedding bouquet did I cotton on to how stunning they really are.

Now, the peonies in our garden have their own story. When my parents moved house, they changed their new front garden around. As they did so, they offered me any plants I would like to take. Well, you can imagine, there I was, trowel and spade in hand! Our car was soon filled with straggly plants in bags and pots.

So, back home, I popped the peonies in the ground. I had no idea really what they were or whether they’d take to our colder, north eastern temperatures. Were they herbaceous? As it turned out, they were a triumph of hope over knowledge. The first year one large pink bloom appeared (and I learnt they are herbaceous) then, each year from then on, more and more flowers have appeared.

But, all was not perfect in the garden.

I love these big, blousy blooms and even more, I love where they have come from and the memories they’ve given, and continue to give, me.

This year, when my daughter asked me what ‘those pink flowers’ were called, I was able to share my limited knowledge and my story with her.

A bit of support is needed.

So, yes, now I’ve realised, we all have a story with certain flowers. And the stories can bring so much joy in the sharing.

Which flowers do you have a special story with?

I am reading: White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link.

The Tale of Truthwater Lake by Emma Carroll.