A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Grandma's Old Fashioned Flower Garden

 When I was a small girl, we used to sell seeds for our school. All the kids had little cardboard boxes with several packages of seeds, both flower and vegetable. The people living near the school were the first to "welcome" us little sales people to their door. The seeds must have cost just a few cents, but money was tight in those war days so we really had to do a selling job. This was the era of the victory garden. Everyone had a garden in their backyard. They were needed in order to eat for many families. 


 Women not only worked outside the home...they came home and canned the produce from their gardens for the coming winter. Some moms didn't work outside the home...they were the caretakers for other women's children. My mom worked at a department store and she worked so hard to keep things going for our family while Dad was gone. We rented our house and I think that we paid maybe $35 a month. 
 When the men came home from the war it was such a happy time. I remember my dad looking at the backyard and saying that he would plant a garden.I think that this was his first attempt at growing anything. He didn't have any really good tools, but he had "elbow grease" I remember seeing him dig up that hard soil with a spade. I tried to help by picking up the rocks and sticks that were in his way. The garden was to be huge. Enough for the three of us and my grandma.
 I knew that we didn't have much money then, so I hesitated asking Dad to buy some seeds from me. I thought that maybe he would buy a packet or two. When I showed them to  him...he was delighted and bought almost all my vegetable seeds. 
The flower seeds were left. I used to fan them out on my bed and look at all the pretty flowers.....wishing that we could grow flowers instead of yucky old vegetables. There was one packet called "Grandma's Old Fashioned Flower Garden" a mixture of pretty old fashioned annuals. I wanted it so badly, but the day came and I had to turn in my money and leftover seeds. No flowers for our garden that year or any other year as I remember...maybe a few marigolds was all. 
I saw the packet of "Grandma's Old Fashioned Flower Garden" seeds on Amazon.I needed a few things to get free shipping...so I ordered a package. I planted them in a big container in the back garden. It took me from the time I was 6 years old until now in my 70's to finally see what comes of a mixture of seeds in a packet. I was really surprised...they were quite pretty and quite a variety. I finally had my wish...no yucky vegetables in this container...just delicate, beautiful, flowers....like Grandmas used to grow.
Balisha

Thought I'd share something else this morning. Remember back on Oct. 7th...I said that I was bringing in my Christmas cactus? I did bring it in and yesterday it started to make those big fat buds. Here's a picture of it this morning...sitting in the garden window in my computer room. I told you so :)

9 comments:

Jan said...

I've never had the confidence to grow anything from seed. Maybe I should be braver and try a packet next year.... your flowers look so pretty and have so many great memories. Jx

marlu said...

The Grandma's Old Fashioned Flower Garden is lovely. What great memories of your dad. My dad was 43when the war started. I don't know what the draft age was, but he was a lineman at the electric company and was given a rating saying he was necessary in his job. Seemed like it was 4-H instead of 4-F, which was physically unfit.

Margie's Musings said...

Balisha, I do not see my Christmas cactus blooming. What's the secret?

Balisha said...

This is my way of getting cactus to bloom.
This year my cactus was in the house all summer. During the last few hot days I put it on the porch. It stayed there, watered often, until the temps went down to 40 degrees at night. After letting it stay out a couple of nights at that temp I brought it in and put it in my sunny window. Two days later buds were forming. I have found that C. cactus need that sudden change of temp to get the budding process going. This way is always blooms before Christmas. Many years it blooms again in Feb. I have people call me and ask when they can bring them inside. It always works. Hope this helps. Margie...You should still be able to get that cactus chilled.I checked your weather for the weekend and your days are probably warm enough.Keep it in the sun.
Balisha

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

What a great story. Glad you finally got your pretty flowers.

Judy said...

I too love those packets of mixed flower seeds. Love your method for getting the C. Cactus to bloom!! My Daddy was a farmer and didn't have to go to war.

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

I enjoyed your recollections of your Dad coming home from WWII, you helping him put in a garden, and how you longed for flower gardens even as a little girl.

The pictures of your flowers are so pretty. It looks like your Christmas cactus is on its way to a bunch of beautiful flowers.

My three C. cactuses are still out on their little table on the front porch. My orchid spent the summer outside attached to the awning support. I thought it could pretend it was in a jungle tree. The cactuses will have to come in this week, and I had better remember to bring the orchid in tomorrow. I am hoping not to bring any weird bugs inside with my flowers.

Do you do anything special to fight against hitchhiking bugs coming in with your plants at this time of year?

Sharon said...

I saw packages of mixed seeds this year and wasn't sure if they would really come up. Your container garden is wonderful! I'm going to remember those seeds for my containers next year ~

debra @ HOMESPUN said...

Just loved this story, Balisha and now look at that happy cactus :)