There is something about walking through a garden that awakens the past. A familiar fragrance, the color of an old-fashioned flower, or the youthful imagination captured in metal can transport you to another time without warning. As we walked through our July Merit Award gardens, they became living memory books when past experiences reawakened as each homeowner shared their gardens.
It is the lilies that remind Carol Brand-Twa of her grandmother and her garden back in Oklahoma or the hydrangea that came from a cutting that her friend shared with her years ago. She and her husband, Doug Twa, who reside at 6840 Indian Bay Road in Montague have created a garden filled with nostalgia. It isn’t only the plants that stir memories, though. The art nestled among the flowers carry their own. A weathered post office box, a handmade sculpture, or a whimsical gate are more than decoration – it is a reminder of the love behind it.
For Lois Ernst, 523 S. Mears in Whitehall, it is the Hollyhocks that bring back the childhood memories of growing up on the New Era farm. She and her sisters would pluck the flowers to create little dolls and have sweet little wedding parties. Lois’s garden teaches us that memories, like the perennials, have a remarkable way of returning.
Dirt Dauber Garden Club would like to recognize these gardeners with the July Merit Garden Award, both sharing with us that their gardens are more than a collection of plants but rather places where stories are rooted.
For more information about the DDGC, our community projects, club meetings, and other events, visit the DDGC Facebook Page at fb.com/dirtdaubergc.
