Coming out at

One of my biggest thrills once I had my own backyard was the first year my own lilac tree bloomed. The scent of the blossoms took me right back to my grandparent’s yard and great memories of my Grandad.

When my Grandma passed away a few years back, there were only a couple of mementoes that I really wanted to have to remember her by – the old armchair from the front verandah where we’d always sit and visit on summer Saturday afternoons, and some of the perennial flowers from her garden. Now, every spring when the monk’s hood and lily-of-the valley start sprouting through the ground, I think of her, touch the sprouts and smile. In addition to my Grandma’s perennials, my flower garden is also home to a thriving section of Maltese cross from the garden of a special family friend who has now passed away, as well as a host of newly planted perennials that I have discovered myself and that my mom has shared with me from her garden. Like me, my garden is a continual work in progress. I’ve come to realize that no, my garden doesn’t have to be perfectly planned and ordered, although I certainly aspire to a bit more of that.

I still don’t know the names of every flower or garden plant out there, but that’s OK. It’s part of the ongoing journey that comes with gardening. So, for those of you who are pondering whether to try your own hand at gardening, I say grab a trowel and a packet of garden seeds, because there’s always room for more in the garden club. And there’s just no telling what joys you might discover.

‘Like me, my garden is a continual work in progress.’ Brenda Fehr is a writer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She loves pets, books, music and a good cup of coffee, and hopes to master Chopsticks on the piano.