This morning, I had the opportunity of introducing ten second graders from nearby Greenwood Elementary to the garden. We had a ball exploring hideouts, trees, dragonflies and bullfrogs. In the afternoon, I decided to retrace our steps camera in hand. Walking to the Quarry Garden to check out the bright festival of primroses, I heard the distinctive “keeeer” call of a soaring red-tail hawk. What a sight! Next to the Quarry Garden, Sycamore Hill, the Pinetum and onward to see the last of the peonies.
What started out as a walk to document the garden turned into a healing moment. I didn’t even realize I needed healing but breathing the fresh air and walking under these magnificent trees gave me a moment to reflect. Monday, May 25th started out quiet and calm; a sweet holiday for remembering the sacrifices made to insure our freedom. Then, a phone call from my sister in Iowa as she told the very recent (that morning) story of how her son, having just graduated from high school the day before, rolled his pick-up three times and escaped as it was going up in flames. Seth, dear to us before, is even more precious now.
That afternoon, I heard from my mother saying that her uncle passed away at the ripe old age of 95. I had hoped to see him at our annual July reunion. These things were all rolling around in my head, hidden by the concerns of the day. Near the end of my walk, I came upon the stump of a beech tree. A huge branch fell from its upper reaches on May 16th and the entire tree had to be removed. As I touched the moist stump, unexpected tears fell. Thoughts of my almost-lost nephew, my soft great-uncle Harvey and the many old trees in the garden rushed in.
I’ve spent much of the spring looking at flowers – squill, azaleas, lilacs and peonies in abundance – and not paying one bit of attention to the magnificent trees in the Winterthur Garden. The recent loss of the beech reminds me of each tree’s lifespan and of my own. Each day is a gift to unwrap, enjoy and use wisely.
Come enjoy the garden. I recommend a solitary walk to give your soul time to breathe and heal. Meanwhile, I resolve to make reservations to attend the Siglin family reunion this year.
Karen,
Having a 24/7 job as a B&B owner/innkeeper, I sometimes don’t even have the opportunity to walk out into my own 4 acre garden, let alone come to Winterthur (though I’m a member). This was the first time that I briefly enjoyed some of your blog entries. Your statement here that “Each day is a gift to unwrap, enjoy and use wisely”, is so true and I have to figure out ways to use my days more wisely, so that I can take “a solitary walk to give (my) soul time to breathe and heal”. Thank you for reminding me.
Cheryl
Cheryl,
Thanks for your comment. Hope this week allows some time for your heart space. Karen
I visited the gardens for the first time this weekend. The bus driver talked about ‘azalea hill’ having replaced American Chestnuts that succumbed to the blight in the early 1900′s. I was wondering if anyone on staff has followed the efforts of the American Chestnut Foundation and the American Chestnut Cooperators Association to bring back a blight-resistent American Chestnut? Scientists at several universities, including Penn State University at University Park, have been working on the problem since at least the 1940′s. They think they are very close to having specimens that are blight-resistent. Would it be possible to allocate some land and plant seednuts on the property?
Nancy, thank you for the suggestion. I will talk with our arborist about this. He is deeply committed to increasing the diversity of our current woodlands so that we may, hopefully, avoid another trajedy like the chestnut blight.
Wow, Chestnut trees growing at Winterthur!!! Now this is the real purpose of a blog.