My family has property in the coast range in the forested valleys outside of Seaside, OR. It has been in our family for four generations going on five. My grandmother loved to garden and as this was her second home, she incorporated many timeless plantings surrounding the cabin.
One of my earliest memories of her was a lesson just for me on how to layer a hydrangea branch to make new plants for free. Decades later, I sit on this lovely September afternoon admiring our propagation handy work. Rows of hydrangeas run the length of the front of the cabin. Their huge, green leaves seem to glorify the sun here even though they are in a southwest facing bed. Everything blooms later here in the shelter of the valley maritime climate. The six blueberry bushes are just now yielding their first fruit. The air here is amazing...if freshness could be described to do it justice.
My grandmother Ruth planted timeless beauties in this place 40-50 years ago which are now irreplaceable: star magnolia, rhodies, dogwoods, golden chain tree, huge upright red Japanese maples & her favorite, the flowering cherry. All of these plants seem to get better with age: classy like Audrey Hepburn or a black Chanel dress.
We planted a coral bark Japanese Maple to commemorate my grandma Ruth's passing when I was 10. A couple years later I took it upon my preteen self to mow the lawn, accidentally got the riding lawn mower in reverse, & beheaded the expensive seedling at about 12-18" off the ground. I was mortified! My poor dad had to go out and try and buy another one to replace it. Now the second try is 18-20' tall and a slender beauty.
A couple of winters ago we had some severe winds that took down several large fir trees in the "front yard" that had started to overcrowd the Japanese maples. Luckily, they remained unscathed from that bitter, destructive storm that snapped 100'+ conifers in half! Timeless. Sturdy & strong. There is now enough light to create sweeping beds underneath the stature of the Japanese maples.
Change...the landscape has morphed to accommodate more botanical companions..Oh goodie! I would like to think my grandma would be planning the same additions. I feel so blessed to be able to pick up where she left off with her passion and love of gardening. How cool that each generation has the opportunity to refine a subject, make it better, add to it.
A place/A family/ A tree/ A memory. Plants are more than ornamentals we plant in the ground for year round interest/color. They are more than utilitarian. They are us. A blueprint in time that with love and care with supersede the generations. I want my daughter to be 30 something and sit where I sit and think these same thoughts about me and grandma Ruth from which she is named.
to be continued...
