When I was a little girl I used to slip away from my house and walk the back roads about two miles or so to my grandmothers house. Her older sister lived a couple of blocks away from her but on the way. My great-aunt E lived in a tiny little house along the river about the size of a railroad caboose. It had wonderful big windows looking out over the river and into Canada. Auntie E even had a magic bed...it slipped back into the wall with just a tug! She was a big woman, red hair and fond of bright colors, in her clothing, her jewel toned paste clip on earrings and her lipstick. Brightest of all though was her gardens and hanging baskets of plants all over her tiny yard. She was in ill health but always made a fuss over me when I came to visit and explained all about her plants, the life cycles, the science, philosophy and stories about the plants (some historical and some made up I am sure). She had many plants but she adored her lilies and she had the most beautiful botanical drawings of plants too. I am now probably about the age she was then but I doubt I have ever had a day in the garden, or learning about plants or passing along the love of them to another child that I didn't think of her. It turns out that we are moving again back to our home town area. I know where all the best spots are to find the wild martagon lilies. I am looking forward to showing them to my little grandson in his turn.
