Gardening – everything from planting beautiful flowers, growing healthy vegetables,
planting trees of all shapes and sizes, and landscaping around our ponds – grew to
become my favorite hobbies. As a child, I watched my mother plant and tend her
flower and vegetable gardens grown in the rich, dark soil in of our home in Illinois. I
can still see my mother’s smile in my mind when I recall family, friends, and neighbors
admiring her beautiful flowerbeds. However, as a child I did not understand why she
did it. I appreciated the delicious fresh vegetables and a home that was more beautiful
and welcoming due to the assorted colors, scents, and varieties of flowers, but it
seemed like so much WORK!
During my teen years, after we moved to southwest Missouri, I hated helping with the
gardens. My chores included pulling weeds and picking rocks out of the garden beds.
Oh, the dread that overcame me if I heard rain on the windows because I knew the
rocks would “grow.” At that point I missed the rock-free soil in Illinois as much as the
friends I left behind and I questioned my mother’s sanity for engaging in such
ridiculousness. I swore I would never plant a single flower, bush, or tree when I had a
home of my own!
However, when I bought my first home, my mother showed up early in the morning
with flowers, ornamental bushes, and gardening tools in hand before the moving boxes
were unpacked. I groaned inside at the thought of what lie ahead, but she was so
excited…
So, I donned a pair of her gloves and followed her directions as we worked throughout
the day. She guided me where to plant the various cultivars based on their need for full
sun, partial sun, or shade. I got a quick lesson in the difference between annuals and
perennials (which I did not keep straight for years), as well as strict watering
instructions. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, sweaty, covered in dirt, and my
muscles already ached. As the sun began to set, we drank an iced tea and admired
what we had accomplished. My mother smiled at the beauty she added to my
landscape. It was at that point that I got it; I understood why she worked tirelessly all
these years, and I was hooked! It was her love for all the benefits of gardening as much
as her love for her family.
I spent many years learning planting, fertilizing, pruning, and fall clean up techniques
from my mother. My gardens contain plants she has given to me as well as several of
hers that I dug from her flower beds when she passed away. It is bittersweet when
they bloom each year now.
In honor of my mother, and to continue to develop my gardening skills, this spring I
enrolled in the Master Gardener Certification program offered through the MU
Extension Office. It is fascinating learning the “whys” behind so much of what I learned
from my mom. This program has also brought new group of gardening friends into my
life through local chapter meetings. I look forward to serving my community through volunteer hours after receiving my certification and sharing the love of gardening my
mother cultivated in me with others.
