It is graduation time and a fresh crop of young people are being set free into society. We have all been in their shoes, however in less stressful and gentler times. Welcome to the real world graduates. I remember when I gained my freedom from High School and decided that I was going to go to New York, design clothing and become a Fashion Icon.
It was during this time I met Joyce Gaines, my first Supervisor/Boss in Wheaton Plaza. Here I was, this shy, very much wet behind the ears, disco loving young girl who was impressed by this person who exuded confidence, grace and a particular "I do not care what others think" attitude. Under Joyce's tutelage and direction, I blossomed from my introverted shell into a nearly wild thing, disco dancing, always ready to hang out kind of girl. Trust me, my parents were not particularly amused.
Just as seasons change, so do people. We tend to move on and chart new paths in our lives. Just as we do in the garden, that ever evolving palette that we take on as Stewards of the Land and admirers of all things beautiful. I got out of retail, went into secretarial, marriage, children and other life changes. No matter what I did in my life, I always wondered what happened to Joyce????
Last year, I ran into Joyce in the fabric store. I recognized those over sized black sunglasses and that air of confidence as she flipped through the pattern books. It was a day when I was really missing my Mom and was in dire need of some inspiration for this outfit that I was making for a corporate event. When I called out to her, she looked up like, who had the nerve to call out her name??? It was a magical moment that I will always remember. It was like finding a long lost friend in the midst of a cornfield. We reminisced about old times and then exchanged info.
Just like in a garden, when you are passionate about plants and then you lose track of them or no longer find them in favor, one day they will resurface. I had this same experience with Nigella (it was a must have in my Fredericksburg garden) and now I see that I need to have it in my Maryland garden as a filler plant.
We all need those filler plant/people in our world. Not to replace anyone or anything, but to add value and increase the beauty that lies within or around us. I now use Hellebore's and daylilly's as the perennial filler plants in my garden. They provide beauty, ample foliage and of course the added value of the bloom. The abundance of foliage or structure that a plant adds to the garden, is very much like friends in our lives. How a particular plant enhances the landscape, mirrors how our peers enhance our lives as well.
I installed a vegetable garden for Joyce. Various tomato's, eggplant, assorted squash, gourds, ice box watermelon and some sunflowers.....just because. It will not only be a healthy option of food sourcing for my Senior friend (I always think about Wellness), but this garden will be the filler that is necessary to enhance Joyce's daily life and give her something to go outside for, to look forward to creating with and most importantly something to provide beauty on her own little piece of this earth.
Do you know someone who might enjoy having nature brought back into their midst? Be it a pot or a garden, vegetables or plants, I strongly feel that it is the duty of all Stewards of the Land to remind others that nature is a wonderful thing. Even in this world of ever changing technology, young people who "want it now" and all of our supposed "busyness"....there is always time to garden and embrace all things beautiful. Are you taking the time to reflect on the seasonal changes we go through??
How does your current life garden, mirror the garden of your past?
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