The Most Beautiful Flower

[so lucky]

I'm so sorry to read about your loss, Zeedman. It is clear how much you cherished her. I'm glad you had some really happy time with her. You have lots of wonderful memories to rely upon in your grief, and hopefully that will make it almost bearable, until it is. Hugs to you, sir.

 

[AMKuska]

My heart goes out to you. Losing a loved one is such a terrible feeling. I hope that you will find healing as time goes on.

 

[Zeedman]

DW left me sort of a surprise garden, planted far outside the fenced gardens. There had been a tree stump there, and Elena's way of dealing with stumps was to pour any skins, trimmings, seeds, or rotten veggies over the stump, to help it rot faster. That stump was pulled out during the basement repair last year; but quite a few of those seeds remained... and in tilling the area to level it, I spread them out. So I unexpectedly find myself with a vibrant volunteer garden, full of tomatillo, tomato, litchi tomato, and ground cherries. The volunteer tomatillos are already in bloom! I'll need to thin these plants to just a couple per variety, and put a cage around the plants both for support (the tomatillos and litchi tomatoes get tall) and to keep the deer from ravaging them. I'll attempt to transplant the tomatoes into the garden, in hope that they might still have time to produce something.

A last gift from my DW.

 

[baymule]

I love it! That has to put a smile on your face. I’m smiling, picturing you tenderly transplanting tomatoes and caring for your surprise garden. Those will be the sweetest fruits when you harvest.

My walking onions are doing well. They are thriving in this heat we are having. In a year of upheaval, thanks to you and your wife, I have a tiny garden. LOL

 

[flowerbug]

one of my local garden friends from the library gardening group sent me a note last night and it included a link to the seed savers videos including the interview with you. well done and of course interesting to hear about your experiences and the loving tributes to DW.

i didn't know that you had a hand in helping save parts of Robert Lobitz's collection and the connection to your own soybeans.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Mine are doing well too! Sooo interesting to see them sprout at the top - its like a slo mo picture show!! thanks again, Zeed and many soft gentle hugs.

 

[seedcorn]

Sorry about your loss. Glad to see you see what she did for one e purpose will serve 2 purposes.

 

[Zeedman]

A little story. We had 2 apple trees when we moved into our home; a Red Delicious, and a Cortland. One year, web worms attacked the Red Delicious - and brought with them fire blight. The fire blight killed the RD within a couple years... and from limbs touching, spread to the Courtland. We cut down the dead RD; the Cortland put up a respectable fight. It lost a few limbs every year, but kept cranking out apples, until we finally had to bid it goodbye. It felt like losing an old friend (and that stump became the surprise garden posted above).

Well a few years ago, just before we lost the Cortland, some shoots emerged from under the dead stump of the RD. I was going to cut them down, since I assumed they were just suckers from the grafted rootstock. DW told me no, and said "let them grow, wait and see". Last year, the tree had one misshaped apple, and I again wanted to cut it down to plant something else... DW said "wait".

Elena was right. I would have given up too soon; she had hope, and never gave up on a plant, or a person. I will forever see in this tree a lesson, and the power of that hope.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Elena - you were wise beyond words. I'm so glad you found your husband and vice versa. Good pair and a loving team.

 

[ducks4you]

I am having the same experience with my red apple (we have Never been able to figure out what it is, just that the fruit is sweet,) It produced this year very well. I was planning on making it firewood end of the season, but I think I will selectively prune it next February and see what happens...