The Garden

Having been raised in an apartment in Brooklyn I never had a backyard. The closest I could come to one was visiting my friend Donald Solomon, who lived on East 15th Street in a house. I even buried one of my turtles in his yard, or maybe it was a fish. 

So, I never expected to ever even have a house, let alone a yard. I have also always wanted a bench. This one sits by the rear landscaped island, and its beauty lies in its physical placement. I can sit there and watch the birds at the bird bath, or just look at the house from a different angle.

The first few houses Sue and I bought were older ones, and so the yards were pretty much laid out. We just followed the existing plan by mowing and planting a few extra trees. It wasn't until we bought a new home some years later that Sue; she's the gardener; began to actually put things in our yard by design. This has been a real treat for me, as I get to use the yard way more than she does. 

This is the birdbath, which although it leaks, provides entertainment for me as I watch the birds dive down for a drink. The fig tree on the right died as a result of the late frost. We will be replacing it. There's nothing like eating fresh figs from the tree in your own garden.

Of course, this patio area; which was our anniversary gift to one another a few years ago; is where I end up spending most of my time in the yard. Sue keeps it filled with all sorts of plants; flowering as well as shrubs. I have some cacti, which amaze me when they bloom almost every year. 

My favorite is the one which Sarah brought home from the Outer Banks about 15 years ago. I planted it by the mailbox at our old house. Everyone said it would die, but it made it. The worst part was digging it up when we moved. It now sits in a large pot. 

And this is the classic view of what I call my "summer office". I can listen to music, read, nod off; even play guitar back here. The neighbors are usually at work so I can even sing if I want to. Look for a photo of this same spot in a few months when everything will be in full bloom. It's my own little piece of paradise.

"To Spring" - Happy Harmonies (1936)

The MGM series of Happy Harmonies cartoons were really not preserved as well as many of the other cartoons of the era. However, there are still some real gems out there. Like this one, “To Spring”, in which the elves are awakened from their winter’s nap by the dripping of the melting ice which slowly sets off the alarm clock to awaken them to their annual task. It is a very important one, too.

You see, these elves are in charge of putting color back into the world after the bleak period of winter has passed. They seem to be enjoying themselves until Old Man Winter makes one final push to regain control over the elements, keeping things cold and bleak. But the elves are up to the challenge, restoring the world to its colorful array of beauty and its natural cycle of life.

Sarah's Cactus - A Living Gift

My daughter, Sarah, brought this spiny looking cactus home from a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina something like 10 years ago. I think the town was called Duck. She was vacationing there with her friend Lindsey, and her family, and decided to dig the cactus up from the sand and take it home to me. Everybody laughed, saying that it would never survive. Ah, but he who laughs last, laughs best.

Every 2 years; like clockwork; this spiny little portion of the original mass which Sarah brought home to me, sprouts the most beautiful yellow blossom. And, for the short time it remains; which is something like a month; it reminds me of the hopes and dreams of children everywhere. And in that space of time, I really do believe that nothing is impossible.

Sometimes referred to as the “Yellow Rose” of Texas, this is what dreams are made of.

McGill Rose Gardens - Charlotte's Secret Oasis

Just on the northern edge of uptown Charlotte there is McGill Rose Garden, filled with hundreds of different roses. It occupies about one half of a city street and sits near the auto scrap yards on one side, and at the edge of the Mass Transit Bus Terminal on the other. The fact that it is there at all is interesting enough, but the way it got to be there is even more interesting.

This is the history as per the brochure that is available at the McGill Rose Gardens;

In 1950, Henry McGill purchased a block of land that was home to a coal yard owned by W.A. Avant, owner of Avant Fuel and Ice Co. Henry McGill decided to keep the coal business running for a while afterwards. Helen McGill, Henry's wife, decided to beautify the area by planting two rose bushes. Helen eventually earned the title of "The Rose Lady" and added numerous rose beds over three decades. Henry lovingly maintained the the garden long after Helen's death in 1985.

In 1952, the McGill's opened the garden to the public for the first time on Mother's Day, and it was opened year round in 1967. The property was sold to the City in 1975 with stipulations; that the gardens would remain on the property, and that the McGill's would operate the garden on behalf of the City. Henry helped with the garden until his death in 2007 at age 103.

McGill Gardens, Inc, a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation was formed in 1996 to fulfill Henry and Helen's dream of keeping the garden alive for visitors to enjoy in the future.

The garden is lush and filled with over 1,000 roses and plants. They include native herbs and spices as well as 1,000 sunflowers each year which are havested and used to feed the birds at Presbyterian Hospital. The site includes a meditation garden for hospice as well as a children's garden for early exploration by tomorrow's would be botanists. Mixed in with this are various sculptures and statues that make gardening more that just about the flowers. The whole place is laid out with a casual indifference that only adds to its charm.

The garden is as large as it is dense, and at times it is easy to lose sight of the 65 story office buldings that sit less than 1/4 of a mile away. The area itself is, and has always been, industrial, so this Garden is somewhat of an Oasis. The varied landscaping, utilizing anything available, including this old railroad car, brings a new perspective to gardening. Daring to be different, while preserving the intended beauty, in the midst of an industrial area, is quite an achievement. To ensure that it is a gift that will keep on giving, long after you have gone, is quite a vision.