This plant is a start from a peony bush from our family farm in Hocking County, Ohio. My family "tradition" was that Memorial Day was "decoration day." My mom recalls going to the cemeteries and cleaning up the gravestones with her parents. My grandmother always had flowers to plant. Growing up, even well into my teen years, we would go to the family farm and stay in an unimproved cottage (well, except for electricity and a well) where it was usually hot, muggy and buggy. But it was family... my roots are there.
There's no grave marker for my dad's ashes. We scattered them at the family farm near some of the flowers he planted. Also that weekend we dug starts of plants (peonies, white coral bells, irises, ferns) for any of us who wanted them. I brought some back and planted them in my garden.
I thought it was a fitting tribute that the peonies are so lovely this weekend. On my dad's birthday (yesterday, May 24) they burst into bloom. My dad was an excellent gardener, a Korean War vet, an erudite scholar, an avid reader, and a great dad.
Happy Memorial Day, everyone... I love you, Dad -
Deb
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment