One day, just a couple of weeks back, My granddaughter came to visit me.We took a walk through the garden and picked the last of the roses and Michaelmas Daisy (Aster novi-belgii). We brought them in the house and made a sweet bouquet. I suggested to her that we take a walk up the street and visit her great-grandma, (who was having a particularly unpleasant treatment for cancer that day) and leave the flowers on her front porch as a little surprise to cheer her up. She was elated!

We had to go and visit grandma Smith first (my mother-in-law) who has an apartment connected to our house, to show her our creation. Grandma Smith was so tickled that she took out her camera and snapped this picture.

Look What We Made!

My granddaughter’s little face was full of delight!

We took that walk, and talked about the flowers, and how happy they were going to make her great-grandma, who wasn’t feeling too good that day. Her little mind was putting together that having a garden is fun, because you have enough flowers for yourself and you get to share some with others, and make them happy too. She gets it!

One of the big reasons I designed my garden to have plants in flower for most of the year is to have some to share, as well as some to cut for myself. Here in Tehachapi that takes a bit of planning, but it can be done. The landscape of my dreams has a balance of evergreens for structure, blooming perennials and roses, and of course other flowering shrubs, as well as trees that flower and have fall color. A pretty tall order! That quest is what started me on my gardening journey 17 years ago. I am so fortunate to be designing landscapes here in Tehachapi for the last 9 years.  To get to do what you love each day is a gift!

What is your story? Why do you garden? Please share with us in the comments.