As I was gardening this morning, I was thinking about another garden. My parents’ garden. Forty years ago today, the spring day was much like it is now with patches of blue sky, warming day temperatures urging signs of renewed life and colour burst in the garden. I wasn’t a gardener then but I had a sense of gardens given that everyone had a garden in the farming area I grew up in. This morning, I had a particular sense of deja vu.
Many of my plants or plantings in my present garden echo what was in my parents’ garden. I can hear Mum’s voice as she lamented all those years ago that another month and the roses would be in full bloom and people could enjoy them. Why, was that so important to her? Well, Himself and I were getting married. As was the way of things then, it was a country district do and after the formal church service and reception, the guests all went back to the bride’s parents’ home and garden. It happened to be a special day for Mum and Dad as well because it was also their wedding anniversary. Dad wanted us to be married on the same day – so I guess Himself and I went along with things.
I remember the day well. Just happy. Himself’s sister sewed my gupuire lace wedding gown. Mum baked three traditional rich fruit cakes – large, medium and small. My Aunty iced, decorated and assembled the 3-tier wedding cake. Another Aunty baked and decorated all the pavlovas. My friend’s mother sewed the three bridesmaids’ gowns. Dad killed a steer to provide the beef for the reception dinner. Neighbours did the floral decorations and helped set up the local district hall for the reception. Cars (Chrysler Valiants) for the bridal entourage were borrowed from my Uncle and a neighbour and were driven by my cousins. A local farmer whose hobby was photography, did the photos. That’s the way it was. A similiar story for my cousins, my sister and others in the district. It was an era when people’s milestones were transformed into local social occasions.
I guess the colours and scents in my garden in some way evoked this trip down memory lane. I have a visual memory of similar plants on display on my wedding day. So, the floral whites and ruby hues are my special colours for today.
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- The dark green foliage is a contrast for the white camelia blooms. It’s a pity the white petals ‘bruise’ quite so easily.
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- Another late-winter-early spring cheerleader.
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- Sun-seekers. I love the way the silver foliage sets off the ruby flowers.
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- Heavenly scent pervades the garden. These white flowers are part of a mass of white, blue and yellow freesias that scramble among other plants.
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- The ruby hues make this a show-off tree aganst the skeletons of bare branches when all else in the garden is dormant.
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- My hope is there will be luscious red strawberries to pick before Christmas.
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- Cheery and bright.
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- There’s something magical about a mass of white blossom in the garden. The fragrance suggest the promise of the fruits to come. Where are the bees?
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- Red Haven my early fruiting peach variety is awakening from its dormancy.
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- Delicate pastel pink flowering peach petals are the beginnings of a mass display.
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- This iris is from my late mother’s garden. It is now well-established as a mass planting. This is the first of the blooms.
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- Forty years later, the spirit of love is strong. Flowers say it all and their power eternally excites our senses.
