Grandma's Garden

Description

My grandmother grew up on a dairy farm in Burlington Flats, NY. As a wife and widow, she lived in nearby Cooperstown, in a frame house with a generous backyard garden. My parents, siblings, and I lived with her until I was five, then visited her after we moved away. My earliest garden memories are immersive and multi-sensory, of tasting tangy chives and nasturtium leaves, smelling lilacs and mown grass, and seeing bright orange marigolds and nasturtium blossoms — an awakening to growing things, and the rewards of living with plants. Alas, I do not have my granny's green thumb, but a deep appreciation for those who do, and their handiwork, has stayed with me ever after.

Story contributed by Susan F.

Cite this Page

“Grandma's Garden,” Community of Gardens, accessed March 29, 2024, https:/​/​communityofgardens.​si.​edu/​items/​show/​12433.​
View a Random Garden