The Memorial Tree

Do you ever feel at a loss of what to do, no ambition, no goals, numb?  With the murders of James and Zelma, the death of Aunt Rita,  that's how we felt, and sometimes still feel everyday, from the time the sun slowly peeps out a good morning over the horizon till the sun slides back down out of our view. We had lost our purpose and were at a loss to regain it.  We tried therapy, books, articles, advice, we took short weekend trips, trying to regain our perspective.  Slowly, almost without our knowing, one interest began to take hold.



Charlie Brown no more!



Moon Flower





Peonies from Jim's garden

 One day as we drove across the state back to the lake during one of our many trips to court for a case that has stretched from 1996, still running today, we stopped at a nursery along the interstate.  Earlier we had talked of planting a memorial tree.  We looked at a tiny, Charlie Brown looking Japanese Maple and took the poor thing home.  We chose it because of Bill's dad's life-long habit of bringing home Charlie Brown Christmas trees.  Then we added Knock Out Roses in memory of my dad, Moon Flowers in memorial to his parents.  Then came old fashioned Day Lilies in honor of my mom and Uncle Floyd.  China Boy and China Girl Holly Bushes arrived one spring in memory of Aunt Rita along with a grass. 

Each spring we do fine tuning, making changes, moving this or taking out that.  There are two things that have remained constant - President Cannas and Elephant Ear plants.  These two plants originally came from Jim's garden.  We have planted them every year since and given away hundreds.  One year, the Elephant Ears grew so large we had to use a chain saw to cut them down in the fall.  Another year one Elephant Ear plant bloomed a few small white lily looking flowers, a phenomenon so strange we discussed it with the St. Louis Botanical Garden people and area Master Gardeners.  We finally came across one person who had also seen the same thing; she suggested it was an Elephant Ear that had reached it's life potential and would probably not live much longer.

Today we look at the flower bed often, fishermen and boaters float by to enjoy the colors and shapes, visitors compliment our lovelies, grandkids sniff them, cats fertilize them, deer sleep in them and nibble them. They are conversation pieces to remember our loved ones gone too soon, but not forgotten.


Knock Roses with Blue Fescue