And each time, Carolyn and I take a stroll to survey that plant paradise, I get a lesson in History. Not the kind of lesson taught in school and recorded in textbooks, but a personal flower story.
"This plant or cutting was given to me by ...... way back in the 80s", and the pedigree comes out as we admire the color and shape of the flower.
Let me illustrate with a real life example (above). "This day lily tuber was passed along to me (Carolyn) by Jean Thigpen, but I believe she got it from Carolyn Floyd. It is called Midnight Magic."
One day a man who worked for a neighbor, Portries, appeared at the front door with a clump of bulbs, and planted them for me in the garden. These are not days lilies, but the blooms last for several days. The flowers are named Wine and Roses.
"Nadine is a close friend, and she brought me these from her Mother's yard."
"Another neighbor, Denver Scott, a hybridizer of day lilies, gave me these tubers, left over from his work."
"These were my purchases at Day Lily shows years ago"
A cousin of Carolyn's sent her these from Missouri. They were a present in gratitude for the help she had received when coming to Chattanooga to do some geanologicai research on the McClure family from the Ringgold area. George McClure was Carolyn's Great Grandfather on her mother's side.
These are called Rain Lilies, and they are planted around the birdbath, where the birds splash water from the concrete bath on the plants every time they bathe.
These are not just flowers to "pretty up" the yard, there are stories associated with each. They are remembrances from friends and family, and they mean something.
There are plenty more plantings scattered around the house and yard, all with a story for another day.
It is a great spot to call home.
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