I am rarely disappointed in the gardens, since we developed them first, twenty years ago.  When we moved into our house there was so much to do the gardens were the last things on our mind.  We were both working outside the house then and regular house maintenance along with adjusting ourselves to living in this then-new house took most of our energies.

Our daughter, however, who lived nearby in her own house, decided that as her gift to us she would spend the hours it would take to begin our gardens.  The house footprint on the property seemed to naturally invite gardens in a unique twist of placement, and our daughter set about first amending the mostly clay soil to make it more productive, digging in sand, peat moss and bags of black soil and sheep manure, an enormous job in itself.

After which she began buying and planting the perennials she thought would most likely thrive in that micro-climate where the sun came in early mornings and was gone by early afternoon.  She would inform us of how much she had spent and we would reimburse her.  I suggested a little more emphasis on ornamental trees and shrubs and she accommodated.  She seemed to know everything about gardening, and I very little.

In the end, we wound up with the scaffolding of what we have today.  Over the years we have added trees and shrubbery and other types of perennials, but many of those that she had planted are still thriving and giving us great pleasure, from roses to burning bushes.  Eventually, together we developed the gardens in the backyard and they too have added to our enjoyment of our property.

It was her hard work, her natural and acquired knowledge of gardening, and her willingness to set this task for herself that gifted us with the legacy we enjoy today.