In a way , it is how I ground myself . When I open my eyes , I feel a deeprooted connection with all the flora surrounding me . year , it bloomed , because the Japanese maple had grown over it . I cut back the Japanese maple slightly . Then COVID-19 came and changed everything . Frequent trips to the garden stores ended . I maintained the garden and enjoyed the freedom of green space outside my door , often lazily plucking a few weeds . My friend Helen , however , immersed herself in creative writing classes . While I came through the lockdown with a nice garden , Helen wrote her first novel ! Her book , A Mother ’ s War , was published this spring . The novel centers on a forbidden romance in World War II German-occupied Norway while revealing the true nature of Nazi Lebensborn maternity homes . I highly recommend it to the Book Club ! Caring for the balloon plant often reminds me of my first novel , which I have never finished .
Plants are also given in trade with other plant enthusiasts . Sharing cuttings or seeds is a great way to propagate our favorites and enjoy successes in other gardens . But there are many challenges to successful growth . A doe arrived one early spring and enjoyed our garden so much that she gave birth to twins under our huge rhododendron . The fawns lived
with us for six entertaining weeks until a large stag appeared and took the family away with him . The doe and her bucks returned each spring for several years . During these years , the deer deprived me of many flowers , and I had to settle on a few blooms that the deer found literally distasteful . This year , I am sad that no deer have visited , but glad that I have had gorgeous lilies three years after first planting some my friend Alana Leichert gave me . We have known each other for almost thirty years , and despite intervening life experiences , our friendship after so many years still blooms beautifully .
We also have sweet miniature roses unearthed from the family home of my husband ’ s mother and aunt , which were grafted by his grandfather to produce red and yellow roses on the same bush . And standing tall is a flourishing gingko tree , a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright from friends we traveled to Chicago and Airventure Osh Kosh with in 2011 . There are so many memories in our garden that an afternoon walk with my cat Astra by my side can feel like watching short home videos . I very much look forward to planting some more memories .
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