So . . .
. . . let's go into the garden, shall we?
In the fading light of a warm evening, Nancy's garden glows.
She started it ten years ago, pulling weeds and digging beds in the lot behind the big house she and her sister had grown up in. When I first saw this yard, it was a wasteland of scrub and weed. But Nancy has vision. And she's a Romantic.
Can you tell?
We met Nancy and Joanne in 1998 when we lived in the apartment next door to their house. Nancy knew me in those difficult two years during my accident and recovery. She told me once that, before she knew who we were, she would frequently see Andy running past their front window, and wonder where he was going. He was going to Safeway, and just liked to run. I was used to him doing that and never thought twice, but it made me laugh to hear her say. Later, after she knew him, it made sense; the man's got energy. He bounces through the world. Our talks, her kindnesses — they have stayed with me always. All of my neighbors — people I barely knew . . . I get a lump in my throat going back. It was so hard there. But there was so much love, and from strangers. It's what I remember most from that time. How no one knew us, but they took us in. The way they made it seem like we belonged, when we ourselves felt so very lost, and far from home.
That is part of Portland, for me. The memory of tenderness at that tender time.
Nancy plants things that flourish in the evening — white things and light things that bloom at night, or glimmer in the dark. Several years ago she had a "moon garden" party, and we all came at dusk to smell the night-blooming jasmine and mock orange.
A wonderland. It makes me so happy to see it.
looks like heaven!
Yuuummmm! Thanks for sharing your pics and stories. Those photos make me so homesick for Portland that I can hardly stand it. must get back to work...thanks for the brief retreat.
So nice! Thank you for sharing Nancy's lovely garden with us.
Portland is truly a little bit of heaven on earth. Thanks for sharing the photos. I hope my garden looks that fabulous some day.
I too hope to watch Portland open itself up to me. I've only been here about 2 weeks, but so far I have yet to be disappointed...
Gorgeous pictures, fantastic garden.
One of the things I miss most is the intimicy of the gardens... so private and usually surrounded by tree's that make you feel like there is no one else around although you may have neighbors 20 feet away! That and the greeness! Continue to count your blessings... I know that we do every time we come back up. I call it God's country!
Jean C.
What a gorgeous post. It's been a rough morning. This brought a smile back to my heart. Thank you.
Who wouldn't love a garden like that!
A beautiful ganden like that is like an extra room to your house - the lanterns look great and I especially like the photo of the gravel and geranium leaves. Good job, Nancy!
Lovely. I long for a garden, for the vision and skill to make one.
Yes, I can tell she's a romantic from those pictures. I hope one day someone can look at a garden I tend (someday) and call me a romantic too.
Can I have her garden?
thank you for the tour and memory. i love her garden, especially the bamboo fence and the lanterns.
Just beautiful. I admire people who have such an artistic talent in their gardens. It is romantically gorgeous. Thank you for sharing. :)
Teresa
very inspiring...i may even get out and mingle with the skeeters in my garden. thanks for sharing.
Wooow.
If you don't mind me asking, what was you accident? Things like that tend to change us, make us appreciate the little things. Thank you for thae beautiful pictures.
I'd love to have a yard like this. How does one even know where to begin? Is there some sort of crash course in Make You Garden Awesome 101?
How Incredible! And I thought I was doing good to keep my one little houseplant alive. I wish I was one of those dig-in-the-dirt-and-create-the-lovely-garden-people, alas it isn't meant to be. Thank you for sharing this with all of us!
wow. truly spectacular. Thanks for showing us this hidden eden in Portland.
Your words and photos, Nancy's green fingers...made me shed a tear and remember some friends from back in Michigan who lived here in London for awhile. We moved here about the same time and it was so nice to have friendly faces in a big city full of strangers. It was a happy time then, now life is very difficult. Those friends are gone and have since lost touch. My marriage is ending. I'm alone in London and while I have made many cherished friends, it's thoughts of the past that give me a warm feeling. I'm glad you were able to go back and remember that part of Portland again and know that things are happier now.
Beautiful! Is that a greenhouse back there?
What a beautiful garden! I woundn´t mind spending a warm night there, eating a nice dinner!
It's better than an issue of Victoria magazine. Tell Nancy for me, won't you?
M-
Back in Michigan I used to be able to garden. Sure do miss black dirt! Don't have much of that in southern California. Lovely photos. Lovely garden.