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This isn't an article about politics or religion, it's just about Mothers - those gone, those here and those in the future, and how they impacted us in our love of gardening and everything in the world - the softer side of things :)
There's a lovely poem by William Ross Wallace. Hope y'all don't mind that I print all the stanzas.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace,
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Infancy's the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mother's first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow--
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Woman, how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky--
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
The hand pictured is of my sweet, sweet Mother in law, Clare. Today is the day that folks celebrate Mother's Day and it's the first one where we're not quite sure if she will remember us. But the absolute love of gardening that she instilled in my husband Michael and also passed on to me is something that will never end.
Clare is the finest gardener I've ever known, mostly because she sees nature and just appreciates it. She could make anything grow; I swear to you just by giving it a smile - ok, that's not true... But she worked day and long into the evening hours to create gardens that were a sight to behold. She would rise up so early and be back in the woods clearing brush, making paths and then filling them with daffodils that multiplied through the years. Multiplied to the point of folks just gasping in the Spring at her woodland area. The woodlands did not belong to her, but she made them beautiful anyway - it was just a thing with her.
The community she lived in had areas where nobody really took care of making them "beautiful". Clare did that. She created mini gardens all around their Annapolis home which everyone got to enjoy. When I first met Clare, the first thing she asked me was if I was a gardener and if so, would I please make sure that her son always kept up with gardening, because that's where everything started. I promised her that day that I'd make sure we "kept up". Some Mothers just know priorities, ya know?
Everyone has or has had their difficulties with their Moms. I've been blessed with a Mother in law who is a cherished friend and fellow gardener. Mothers have an incredible impact on all of us; some of us have, are now, and will be blessed by Mothers who teach the love of gardening and the appreciation for things that really matter.
The beautiful hands of Mothers who have taught us to garden, probably given us a few gentle reminders, and a gazillion other things - well, they're to be cherished
So, Happy Mother's Day to all. Count your blessings and have a great time in your gardens today!
About Dea O'Hopp
I'm a long time DG'er, super merry wife to the greatest guy on this earth, Michael. By day, we're self employed Mortgage Bankers along with my son Andy. By evenings and weekends we're gardeners trying to get the best out of 3 acres that we can.
Andy and DDIL Michelle gave us the greatest gift of all this past year. We hope to inspire our Grandson to have the same love of gardening we do.
I truly hope you'll enjoy the occasional articles I submit and most importantly have fun cooking from your garden or your local farms.
Happy Gardening and Garden Cooking to all!
Posted by johnnyswife (from Como, TX) on May 12, 2008 at 8:21 AM:
Beautiful post!
This is the first Mother's Day without my grandmother. Yesterday was a tough day for everyone in the family. She just passed in March at the young age of 91. She loved her flowers and her vegetable garden, and she gardened up until last summer. My mom went to the cemetery yesterday....there at her grave was a lone wild flower standing tall and proud. She's still gardening.
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on May 12, 2008 at 9:29 AM:
((hugs))
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Subject: Thank You!
Posted by mametcalf (from Mount Morris, MI) on May 11, 2008 at 9:42 PM:
Thank you for such a lovely, heartfelt Mother's Day post. My son's paternal grandmother was a true inspiration in many ways, especially in the area of gardening. Your post made me think of her on Mother's Day - she was always my favorite person to spend the day with, and was the only person that came to spend my first Mother's Day with me when my little son was only 2 1/2 months old. I will never forget her cheerful kindness, shown to all her family and most people she met. She has been gone for over 7 years now, so I was happy to read a lovely post that brought her memory back on the day I most associate with her!
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Subject: Nice
Posted by phicks (from Lakeland, FL) on May 11, 2008 at 8:24 PM:
Really Really Nice Paul
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Subject: Beautiful, Dea
Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on May 11, 2008 at 6:16 AM:
What a lovely tribute. I hope she's wandering in the gardens in her mind.
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on May 11, 2008 at 6:19 AM:
Thanks Kathleen, she knows the flowers - just not us. Fair trade til later :)
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Posted by victorgardener (from Lower Hudson Valley, NY) on May 11, 2008 at 10:00 AM:
Beautiful, Dea. Happy Mother's Day to you.
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on May 11, 2008 at 10:14 AM:
to your family too Victor !
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on May 11, 2008 at 8:21 PM:
Very sweet, Dea. Thanks for printing the poem--I haven't seen it in a long time, and forgot the verses. Your Clare may not be sure of who you are, which is sad, but I bet she's sure she is loved!
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Subject: I remember ...
Posted by summerkid (from Kankakee, IL) on May 11, 2008 at 1:16 AM:
... when my mother was dying of breast cancer, and I wasn't yet a gardener, I managed to get all the way back home to Montana for a last visit ... and Mom had one flowerbed in front of our double-wide trailer but she could no longer get outside -- so she supervised from the window while I inexpertly weeded that little flowerbed.
She was SO pleased because of course she couldn't trust Dad to do such a sacred task -- and a month later, in the grief of losing her, I turned to the earth & began creating my own flowerbeds.
Thanks, Dea, for jogging my mind to give back a memory that had lain dormant for so many years!
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on May 11, 2008 at 6:13 AM:
(((((summerkid)))))
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 11, 2008 at 10:35 PM:
(((Summer)))
(((Dea))), what a sweet, lovely expression of your feelings for dear Clare. I feel the connection must be there somewhere, inaccessible just now, but still there somewhere.
