Planting memory seeds | Ottawa Start

7 • POSTED ON August 09, 2005
Planting memory seeds
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For me – as for many Canadians – my garden is both a personal retreat and refuge from my daily hectic schedule, and a treasured “room” of my home that welcomes family, friends and guests for a multitude of special (and even not-so-special) occasions.

Our gardening column is published every Tuesday on OttawaStart. Read previous columns here.

This week's column is written by Rene Trim's wife Tracy. Tracy says: "Landscapers don’t have the luxury of taking summer vacations. This particularly hot and humid summer has been especially brutal for those employed in outdoor professions, and my better half – your illustrious garden designer and regular writer of these columns – is no exception. Therefore, I wanted to give him a well-earned respite, and so I offered to write this week’s column for him. I should warn you, though; I’m not a landscape designer, nor do I have expertise in garden construction, maintenance or journalism!"

My garden has been the venue for countless family barbecues, posed photographs during reunions or special occasions (such as graduations or birthdays) and the backdrop to new additions to our little circle (a puppy, a grandchild, etc.). Our family takes a lot of photographs, and so, fortunately, we have been able to preserve these precious memories over time. Photographs are wonderful reminders of good times and special events, but they are not the only means of planting “memory seeds” in our gardens!

Many years ago, upon the birth of my second child, a neighbour of mine decided that my first child – a 3 year old daughter – should have a special “gift” as her brother was born. He “planted” a sturdy branch in our garden, and at the tip of each twig, he’d skewered a candy gum drop. Imagine my daughter’s sheer surprise and delight upon discovering a “gum drop tree” in her garden! He replenished the gum drops each morning for a week, and then the “magical tree” disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived; the memory, however, has lasted 22 years!

Rene Trim

About 4 years ago, I surprised your regular columnist by planting a “memory seed” of a different kind! Too impatient to wait for him to give me a “big rock”, I “planted” one of my own in our garden for him to find whilst enjoying his morning coffee. (Although it’s not clear in the photograph, the rock I’d left for him to find reads: “René, will you marry me?”) I had found a good-sized boulder, commissioned a sculptor to carve the words into the rock, and enlisted the help of my son to spirit it into our garden behind René’s back. That rock now serves as a “memory seed” from a very special time in our lives. (Oh, he said “yes”, by the way…)

While vacationing away from home, you might come across little art pieces, sign markers or found objects that would be perfect additions to your garden – beautiful sea-smoothed rocks from a favourite beach, a particularly lovely plant container, a copper or brass wind chime (or a whirligig), a lobster trap from the Maritimes, etc. Any of these items would make lovely “memory seeds” to “plant” in your garden and they will serve to remind you of a special time or place, year after year.

Also, you can add whimsical personal touches to your garden that act as “memory seeds” – little plaques or art pieces that represent your personality or your philosophy, for example, and give your garden a unique flavour. A plaque like the one illustrated to the left may remind visitors that you have planned an area in your garden specifically to attract wildlife, such as butterflies, birds or even rabbits! Allow your humour to shine through, or your faith, or your environmentally-friendly outlook…the choice is yours, and many different options are readily available through garden shops and via the Internet.

There is also a wonderful product called “Poetry Stones” that allows you (and your children) to craft your own personalized stepping stones or garden art (with text) to commemorate special events, pets or people. With this product, you can allow children (over the age of 6) to help you create beautiful embellished stones (cast from concrete) featuring names, handprints and significant dates, and ready to serve as a lasting reminder. Commemorate an anniversary, the birth of a grandchild, or a much-loved pet with one of these homemade “memory seeds”! You can find more information about this product at: www.magneticpoetry.com/stones/pstone.html, and certain kits are available locally (I know that Lee Valley carries a Poetry Stones’ kit for plant markers, for example).

So, when planning your garden, while it is vital to consider functionality, climatic conditions, scent and visuals, budget and personal taste, it is also useful to remember to plant some “memory seeds”! These will surely add to the enjoyment of your outdoor spaces, and will bring you happiness well into the flowerless winter season and throughout the years to come.

Until next week, when your “regular correspondent” will return,

Happy Gardening!

Tracy Trim

Do you have a gardening question for René? Send it to us, and he'll try to answer it in his next column.
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About René
René Trim was educated and trained in The Netherlands, before moving to Canada in 2000. After studying the differences in climate and season faced by Ontario gardeners he established Trim Garden Design and Rescue in May 2002. A gardener since the 1980’s, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience, a vast library of reference materials from which to draw answers to various garden situations as well as an enthusiastic and professional staff.