As a child my parents often took our family to places like the museum and the Botanic Gardens because they cost nothing and provided hours of entertainment. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of going to these places. I can vividly remember the time when I was about 5 that my older sister and brother and I lost mum and dad at the gardens so my 11 year old sister decided we would need to walk to dad's work in the city as she knew that he would be going there the next day for work and would find us then. It was a long walk (I've seen how far it is as an adult!) and luckily one of dad's colleagues happened to be there on a Sunday afternoon and was able to drive us back to the gardens. My parents must have been beside themselves wondering where we were!
This morning we had an hour to fill and instead of sitting in a cafe and spending money on hot drinks and cakes we didn't need we decided to visit those same gardens from my childhood memories. We wandered through the rose gardens having much more appreciation for their beauty than I ever remember having as a child. Some of them smelt exquisite. Others were so perfectly beautiful I had the urge to someone capture them for ever - knowing their beauty is transient.
It was like a walk down memory lane walking through the hot house. I can vividly recall the feeling of the heavy warm air that the plants in there thrive in. I can recall one trip where I pretended the whole time I was a young woman out on a trip with friends (I was about 7 at the time). I walked with my pink wool coat slung around my shoulders and carried my kangaroo skin purse carefully as I imagined a lady would I talked to myself under my breath pretending I was admiring the plants with a lady friend and conversing with her about them. Oh the power of imagination and being there today brought that all back.
There were some beautiful flowers there that I coveted and others that I thought were unusual but beautiful in their own odd way. There was one plant that I had seen last time I was there that was a ground cover I really wanted. It looked prolific and spread by layering itself and putting down roots. I had been itching to steal a piece then but didn't. I decided today I would - not something I would normally do but I really wanted a souvenir from this garden and I knew it wouldn't affect the plants. I was managed to quickly get a piece without any root - feeling guilty all the while - when my daughter came over from another patch with a rooted piece. I know I shouldn't be doing that - if everyone did the gardens would look terrible! I had been pulling the odd weed I had seen in the beds as I walked so I rationalised it by seeing it as payment for the bit of work done. I know I will treasure that plant as a reminder of this garden, my daughter and the time in our lives we are at. I just hope it doesn't become an uncontrollable weed in my garden as punishment!
Comments
Post a Comment