We lived in our 300-year-old house in Massachusetts for fifteen years. The town was growing too quickly and the atmosphere was changing. I was tired of having to drive everywhere and felt isolated. I was craving city life again, but we chose to move to Philadelphia rather than back to Boston. I felt that I was missing too many family events, big and little, because family was four to eight hours away by car. So we moved.
These are the gardens I left behind. I miss them now. I was so spoiled. Now, I have a few potted plants on a tiny patio, no room to experiment or for the big clumps of flowers I like. We've been in the city for almost ten years and I'm craving the country. This has been our pattern: ten years in the city, ten in the country. But if I mention moving, Jack cringes and edges away.
By the way, if anyone recognizes the plant / flower in the first photograph, please let me know. I was very good about labeling and taking notes, but I just can't place this one. It's one of my favorite blues. Anchusa? Salvia?
What beautiful gardens you had! I'd miss them very much too! I don't recognize the flowers in your first photo. They are pretty thought. I love the intense blue. I hope you are able to have a garden again sometime!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stefanie. I worked hard on the gardens for almost fifteen years. I loved to order unusual plants just to see if I could grow them. I was very proud of the Himalayan blue poppy, but it only lasted one season. I hope I have another garden someday, too.
DeleteGorgeous, I hope my lupins which I started off from seed last year will grow as well as yours. You had exactly the sort of paths which I want to make this year and I love your wooden fencing in the last photo. Unfortunately I don't know what the blue flowers are called either. At least you have great photos and memories of your old garden.
ReplyDeleteAren't they lovely? As you can see, I'm especially fond of blue, white, and yellow combined. I almost never grew anything from seed. I'm not that skilled. If I ever sit down and really go through all my garden notes and photos, maybe I'll be able to identify that blue flower. Or maybe the Horticultural Society can help. I do miss my gardens.
DeleteI often wonder whether the legacy of the European cultural notion of non-attachment to the land hasn't done much more damage than we ever realize.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I understand. Do you mean that people take better care of the land if they have a vested financial / emotional / cultural interest in it? If they're not attached to the land, they care less about it's continued health?
DeleteJoan, your home there in MA is beautiful! I think that flower is a larkspur.
ReplyDeletePeggy, in many ways, it does look like larkspur, but it's much shorter and the flowers don't have that sharp, pointy tail that larkspur does. I also think the leaves are different. It's hard to tell in the photo. If it bothers me enough, I root through my garden notebooks (all of which I saved, just couldn't bear to leave the gardens behind) to see if I can find mention of it.
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