It takes a lot to get me to leave my beloved upstate New York gardens in August because every day some new wonder pops from the soil and delights me. I'll take a trip far from home in the fall, the winter--even early spring, but once those first crocus bulbs bloom, for me, there's no place like home.
As much as I love my gardens, I love my kids more. And when my daughter told me she was moving to Austin, Texas, I thought only one thing: sign me up for that road trip! So, we piled every conceivable item we could into her little Mazda, saving just enough room for her two pups, and we steered the car south...for 27 hours, and nearly 2,000 miles!
I saw a lot of vegetation along the way, through Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas--and got a good feel for the Texas landscape as well. We had a lot of laughs, sang songs on the radio, listened to an entire book on CD, and stopped at landmarks, hotels and eateries along the route.
We got to her new apartment, just refurbished, and it was a lovely little place--with one exception: the back yard. When we glanced out the back sliders we were greeted with a cement patio, a moat of scraggly dirt around it, and a six-foot-high fence. The only plants in sight were the sparse weeds trying valiantly to make a go of it under the brutal Texas sun (above).
I shook my head. "This will never do."
My girl nodded. "You're right about that."
We headed straight to her car. But where to go? We had no idea where the closest nursery was, so we stopped by that old standby: Walmart. Turned out, it was the perfect place to begin. Not only did I get a faux wood table (made of hearty cement), I got it for 15 bucks! Since it was originally $70, I felt pretty good about that purchase. The department manager told us the item had been around a good while, and he needed to make room for new merchandise. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never tried to barter at Walmart before. Who knew?
Next, my daughter rounded the aisle hugging a bush of pendulous pink petals, and my heart melted: bougainvillea. The ornamental, vine-like bush with its mass of delicate flowers (bracts actually) boasts heart-stopping beauty. How I've longed to plant it in my own gardens, but it isn't hearty in my area. We couldn't resist it. We bought two, and they were also on sale, it being the end of the season.
Before we knew it, we were back in her yard, digging holes in the 103-degree afternoon. I'm not used to this kind of heat, so I had to take frequent breaks in her AC. But soon we were finished, and spreading mulch around the area.
"That was a lot of fun," said my daughter, sweat beading on her forehead.
"It sure was," I agreed, looking around the finished area (below). We'd transformed the stark fence with the lovely vines. Plenty of water and they'd scramble across the wood and offer her a lovely sight as she sat out back with her pups and morning coffee. Even better, we planted a memory of gardening together, sharing time and a time-honored tradition. And that is more beautiful than any garden I know of.
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