The Lifetime Garden

by Jon Feldman

Perhaps it all started with Mother Nature. Or maybe Mother Earth. The moon and stars may have been created somewhere in the distant cosmos, but lives on Earth are birthed and nurtured by 'moms'. Historical records show that adoration of mothers has been a constant since the earliest of civilizations- even before Hallmark.

Celebrations of our mothers frequently involve rituals that become significant family traditions. My family of gardeners usually express our affections through gifts of favorite or unusual plants for mom's garden. My parents' current garden space is modest and, in order for our gifts to make it into their cherished permanent collection, strategically we've got to think small. In certain years, without a sure-fire winner, my offering shifted to a basket of annuals, thereby safely avoiding any stress associated with the possible rejection of long-term status.
Though my mother eschews the formality and commercialism of the holiday, it certainly makes her happy on the day to be treated extra-specially by her sons and daughters-in-law.

Since having a child, finding my mom's plant spawned our first Mother's Day tradition. My wife loves to create seasonal displays of potted annuals for the deck on our house, and always relied on me to bring home a lively assortment of plants for her to use. But, even though I spend a portion of each week prowling garden centers for clients, I never seem to remember to get the plants she needs.

Understanding that my memory was not going to get better, or her patience longer, I realized it was time to get her involved in the process and make it an annual family pilgrimage. With kid in tow, we now get to the garden center early in the season and our timeliness is rewarded with a wide selection of spectacular plants. The excursion became extra meaningful when we realized it could be combined with the buying of plants for our own moms. Ingenious. And gas saving, too.

We've tried different garden centers over the years, but always seem to end up at the same one, unconsciously guarding a tradition. Maybe it's the way the plants are arranged on their benches, or the wide selection of herbs that unleash their rich scents as we brush past them. Or, it might be an assurance that we will find what we need. More probably, though, it is the perennial desire to smell the still-hot doughnuts being baked in back room.

Coming up with new ideas isn't always easy, especially if the choice isn't apparent. Doing so requires imagination and perseverance. Striving for originality each year is challenging-but worth the extra thought, because when the day is done and love fills the air, my wife, son and I rejoice in knowing that we were Mothers of Invention.

Jon Feldman is the owner of G. biloba Garden Environments. Reach him at 353-3448

Jon Feldman is the owner of G. biloba Garden Environments, a landscape design & construction company in Nyack. 353-3448.
on the internet at www.gbiloba.com

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