Photo by Richard F. Wyvill
We visited Italy a number of years ago. There was so much to see, great food and wine. But of all the memories, the one that stands out are the flowers. Even the smallest balcony or walkway had clay pots overflowing with magnificent blooms of every shade. The flowers all massed together created bountiful, lush gardens where I wanted to sit to all day.
I think about those flower gardens often, but it wasn’t until recent years that I’ve wanted a garden like those I saw in Italy. The yard at our previous house was mostly in the shade. We had a wall at the edge of the patio and a brick walkway by the screened porch. We collected beautiful ceramic pots and planted marigolds, primroses, and geraniums. I loved it, but it didn’t quite look like I wanted it to look.
We moved five years ago. This house sits mostly in the sun. Zinnias bloom out front, marigolds in the back, all planted in the ground. We planted some pots with peppers, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and herbs. All beautiful. But I still long for one of those lush potted gardens along our patio. Maybe it’s the pandemic and being mostly home for a year, but the dream of that kind of garden is growing into a desire I can’t ignore.
I still have the beautiful ceramic pots, as well as clay pots, but I “need” more. I looked through gardening catalogs while snow was on the ground. I’ve driven past gardening centers in spring-like temperatures. I want one of every kind of flower! I’ll have to hold myself back so I don’t buy more flowers and plants than I can take care of. But this year I’d like to put a little bit of Italy on my porches and patio.
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Lynn H. Wyvill grew up in Washington DC where her favorite activity was sitting under a Japanese red maple tree, watching clouds create pictures in the sky. As a writer, she finds peace and inspiration when hiking in the woods, strolling on sandy beaches, and observing nature’s show in her backyard. Those experiences are captured in her first book, Nature’s Quiet Wisdom. Before writing books, Lynn worked as a radio/TV reporter and writer for the US Department of Agriculture and owned a consulting business that trained professionals on the creation and delivery of effective presentations. She is a lifelong learner, avid reader, small town explorer, and dedicated theater attendee who lives in beautiful Virginia with her husband.