Re: Childhood plant memories

At 11:55 PM 6/17/05, yarrow@sfo.com wrote:

At 4:40 PM -0700 6/9/05, Jan Smithen wrote:
> Does anyone else have childhood memories of what you did with plants??
My earliest memories are of playing in the square next to our house. A couple of bombs had dropped on it (England, about 1942) and my friends and I would climb the crater walls, four year old mountain climbers! grub in the dirt - which smelt wonderful, especially just after a rain, and pick dandelions which we took home to our mothers or used as prediction tools for ourselves. I have loved dandelions since then, used them medicinally, and delighted in their color, fragrance and seed. Must say, I don't like them so much when they run rampant in my garden, though I am tolerant enough not to use herbicides.

Later, we moved from Swinton to a little village called Ainsdale. Our house backed onto the sand dunes, (at least a mile to the ocean) and I remember playing among the sharp sand grasses, picking bluebells and periwinkle flowers and resting beneath the scrub of pine trees, with Dana, a Great Dane who was my companion.
In the garden was a greenhouse, cared for by a Mr. Matthews, a retired gardener, who came twice a week. He introduced me to grapes, and my special delight, mustard and cress. which we grew on sack cloth. It sprouts and grows so quickly, one can almost see it grow. Mustard and cress is still sold in stores in England, though I have not seen it elsewhere. Its quite delicious sandwiched between butter and good bread.
Lupines grew in the borders, the beads of water which were held in the center of the leaves were fairy mirrors, and the pink and blue flowers, with their yellow innards were a source of mystery. I think also the white lawn daisies were a source of delight, especially when they showed some pink toward the centers and the petal undersides. We picked these and dandelions and made chains and crowns. Chamomile also grew freely, and the small, yellow, cone shaped flowers and ferny leaves released their fragrance when squeezed. I am so glad I learned to make friends with plants in this way - made friends with the common, native varieties that lived in urban areas and cottage gardens and did not have to connect with the more intense and closed off energies of the hybrids and horticultural creations that surround me today.
Mr. Matthews also grew Sweet Peas, both in the greenhouse and in the garden, and they were and remain my favorites. I try to grow them whenever I have space.

Anna Ingre


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