Family Tradition

As a child, my first chore was the removal of weeds from a flagstone walk -- tedious, yes, but a good lesson in tenacity.  While I enjoyed being in the garden, the plants that fascinated me most were the tall, colourful hollyhocks with their seed-filled discs.
 
We didn’t use any chemicals; only natural fertilizers applied to the rich loam soil to produce a wonderful variety of healthy, gorgeous flowers and an abundance of vegetables.  

Certainly as a child I didn’t always want to help with chores, but throughout my lifetime, gardening has been an integral part of my being.  I’ve often wondered if that was learned or inherent.  Perhaps it’s both.

My parents planned and maintained gardens throughout their lifetimes.  Though my maternal grandparents were not avid gardeners, their daughter (my mother) was.  

While searching my family’s genealogy, I discovered that my paternal grandfather was groundskeeper at The Guynd in Carmylllie, Scotland – a large country estate with landscape designs laid out between 1750 and 1860, and later at Colliston Castle in St. Vigeans Parish, Forfar.  Successful groundskeepers with considerable wide-ranging horticultural knowledge displayed their own creative designs within the original landscape architect’s site plan.

Beginning in their early years, while following me around the yard, my children touched, smelled, and asked questions about various flowers.   I’m pleased to observe that the family's gardening tradition continues.