It
began on a cold morning in April and ended on a cold morning in
November. I started the project next to a bossy older Yorkie with me as
the little sister and ended the project next to a bossy Griffon who was
my little sister.
It
started with me in my stroller in our side garden with Foley and ended
with me in my stroller next to River in a garden named for Foley.
The
last two years, after we moved to the Downtown Modular Abbey, Foley and
I supervised Mommy’s and Daddy’s yard work. Over the winter we would
plan how our gardens would look then give our parents a list of plants
to buy and supervise their planting from our stroller.
Over
the winter Foley and I laid out ambitious plans for six different
gardens, building news ones, and expanding others. Then, in June,
disaster struck. Foley went to the Bridge and I was left alone trying
to get two grieving parents to complete Foley’s plans.
I
think I did a very good job with the garden planning, especially being
given the difficult job of planning Foley’s garden (which was helped
greatly by a beautiful Hydrangea from Hobo and his parent .) Three
weeks later, as my plans were coming together, I was joined in the
stroller of supervision by River Song, and, despite her not taking part
in the winter’s planning, she had her own ideas.
At
first I dismissed every thought she put forth, but I had to admit, the
little frowny faced girl from Florida had some good ideas. The
butterfly bushes in front of the house were overtaking the front garden
and needed to be moved to the side. The lighthouse garden, which the
year before had been nothing but poor growly grass, and was Foley’s
“baby” needed to be expanded.
In
fact River was so right on with her directions that I began to believe
that Foley was visiting her in her dreams which put me in the
uncomfortable position of defending Foley’s initial plans for the
gardens against what I was suspicious of, but could not confirm, Foley’s
new plans for the garden, being relayed through a lap taking, frowning
interloper.
But
soon we began to work together and as fall came the gardens were
beautiful. We had worked Mommy and Daddy (and the poor trash man who
had to take away bag after bag of grass and soil from our ever expanding
gardens) nearly to death but it was worth it.
But
this week we closed down the pretty gardens, cut them back, dug them
up, put mulch around the perennials, and put away the tools. Everyone
had grim faces, not just from bracing from the cold winds, but because
these gardens were a link to Foley.
But
in five months those perennials Foley and I picked out will grow again,
reminding us of her. And there will be new plants that River and I
will pick out while the ground is frozen and everything will be new
again
We
haven’t posted pictures of our gardens because they were never
finished, but these are some we took while they were a work in progress.
I hope you enjoy them and prepare for next week when Pocket and River
Landscapers will have planned even more beauty.
The shed garden
the lighthouse garden
the wheelbarrow garden
Foley's Garden
