Forget-me-not blues.
These have dotted my garden in years past, but they
always seem to die out. Not in an ugly
way--just not there when you look for them
in the spring.
When I browsed hopeful rows of perennials this year, the
sky blue and yellow color combination caught my eye.
The plant name struck my heart and sealed the deal.
"You're coming home with me."
Do you ever whisper to your plants?
Maybe we shouldn't admit such things.
The blooms are intricately crafted dainties, clustered
in small bouquets. This would have been enough,
but my macro lens revealed an extra bit of shareable beauty.
Tiny yellow hearts ring the center,
one heart for each petal.
In a season of home-goings, this plant spoke the
exact language I needed to express a deluge
of thoughts, emotions, and grief.
A backyard garden often reflects its keeper in this way.
The gardener walks the rows and remembers--
these were Grandma's favorite flowers.
She spreads protective mulch and ponders--
I want to be tenacious like the tiger lilies.
In hottest July, she waters dry ground and nods along
with the Master Gardener, whose plan is continually unfolding--
even to include a hydrangea blooming through a fence.
What reminders do the plants in your garden offer?
What memories do they whisper at nightfall?
Do its citizens inspire any lofty ambitions?
I'd love to know.
