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Annie in Austin
Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Imagining Dad In the Garden

Annieinaustin, Blue River HibiscusIt's a dozen years since my dad died but he was with me in imagination as I mowed and wandered around the garden today. He loved our Illinois garden and if he were here he'd recognize these first 10" blooms as the Blue River II Hibiscus. Annieinaustin,hemerocallis citrinaDad would know the Citrina daylily. A neighbor shared it with me in 1978 and it's bloomed in four of our gardens. Annieinaustin, purple calibrachoaDad disliked purple clothes but liked purple flowers so this basket of Calibrachoa might get a nod of approval. Even if the visit is imaginary I'd better do something about the tree saplings sprouting in every shrub and flower bed. That was one of Dad's pet peeves. Get that pecan out of the hydrangea! There'd be no excuse for not weeding once Dad saw the Cobrahead tool Anneliese sent me for winning a contest on the Cobrahead blog. And he he might be amused that the winning plant ID was Horseradish, something he grew near his picnic table. Annieinaustin, praying mantisIf we were lucky we could catch a glimpse of the small Praying Mantis hanging upside down on the Meyer's Lemon. Annieinaustin, Carmello tomato We could taste the first 'Carmello' tomato - a new one this year. Under bird netting some 'Early Girl' tomatoes are coming along and so are a cluster of 'Costoluto Genovese'. Annieinaustin, Costoluto genoveseWith so few tomatoes we'd have to use canned tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. In my mind I hear him say, "getting a little heavy handed with the oregano, aren't you, missy?" He'd be okay with lots of basil, I think...not being Italian never stopped my dad from cooking old-time Chicago Italian dishes - pounding round steak thin, rolling, filling and tying it to make Brachiole in red sauce. With maybe some zucchini sliced, dipped & fried in olive oil on the side.




I can't even imagine what kind of conversation we could have about the non-garden world - my father was a pipefitter at a Fisher Body plant, the division of GM that made car bodies. Every news broadcast this week has made me wonder how my parents would have felt about the whole thing.






What would he think about part of his family living in Texas?Annieinaustin, soldiers in New Guinea, WW2Dad learned to hate Texas weather when stationed here on manouvers prior to shipping out for 3 years in New Guinea during World War II.

Forty years later he learned to dislike Texas highways and their primitive rest stops when he & Mom drove IH35 all the way through Texas to San Antonio one hot September. But like most guys - once he got to the reunion of old army buddies, he had a great time.
Miss you, dad!

36 comments:

  1. Great post Annie. Love the vintage photo at the end. The more I play with my digital camera the more I have the urge to buy a film one again. There's something about film photos that capture something I find lacking in digital.

    MrBrownThumb @ Chicago Garden

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  2. Annie -- what a lovely tribute. Thanks for sharing it with us and allowing us a glimpse into your personal life growing up with your Dad as you remember him on this day. Our families touch us in so many ways, and it's nice that the garden reminds you of your father.

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  3. What a beautiful post. Your Dad and my Dad would have been great "gardening" neighbors!

    And those are very fine looking tomatoes you are growing there, missy.

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  4. I love this post, Annie. Thank you.

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  5. Annie, What a very lovely tribute to your dad~~how wonderful to know he is with you in the garden. He had very good taste in flowers...the Blue River II Hibiscus is gorgeous!

    I wonder what some of my long gone union family members would make of the GM plants closing down in Tennessee....not good news.

    gail

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  6. Thank you for sharing your tribute to your dad with all of us. I loved the photos, too.
    It's been a while since I have visited Transplantable Rose, but I am glad I did today.
    all the best,
    Mike Z

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  7. I got a nice warm glow reading this post. It's wonderful that you were so close (emotionally, I mean) to your father.

    And the tomatoes look great!

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  8. It seems that Dad is still with you in spirit. Sounds like he was a great Dad.

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  9. What a touching post. I've tears in my eyes. It's wonderful that you can feel connected to your dad through your garden.

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  10. If there was ever proof that we live on through the people who love us, this is it. It's wonderful to feel your father in the garden with you.

    PS. That white hibiscus is really something!

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  11. Mt Dad would rototill early in the mornings. You could see the steam coming up from the ground. I told him once how I liked the smell of that fresh turned dirt. He looked down at me and said that it smelled good enough to eat but we better wait and eat what came from it.

    After reading your post, that thought came to me and I remember it so well, and it happened over 45 years ago. Thanks Annie.

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  12. You and you're Dad seemed very close and liked the same things. You are lucky to have such good memories to share with us. My DAd did not cook, but gardening was one of his favorite pastimes.

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  13. I wish I could pay such a lovely tribute to my Dad too. It has been a very touching post dear Annie, i could almost visualize the two of you sharing the same interests and chatting like a father - daughter buddies over a cup of tea.
    All relations are sacred but a father - daughter one has a special place...always. Have a great day.

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  14. Nice post! I wish my Dad could have seen our place in the country. I know he'd love it.

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  15. It is nice to get to know your Dad a little bit Annie. I am sure you miss him. A girl just hates not haveing her Daddy around. I am sure he was there with you enjoying your garden and marveling how the world of GM has gone.

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  16. I love the way things prompt memories of loved ones. I find myself doing the same thing from time to time.--Randy

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  17. Thank you all for your responses to this post and to my rambling thoughts about my father. My brother and sisters now crave Dad's brachiole and handmade spinach ravioli and are saying I made them cry. It's touching to know that this post triggered memories for you, too.

    Although Dad and I didn't get along well when I was a younger teenager, after I was married at 19 our relationship changed dramatically. In my dad's mind an unmarried daughter was a dangerous responsibility and somehow "Handing the reins" over to Philo was a big relief!

    It was both amazing and amusing when suddenly Dad & I could be two adults, able to enjoy the things we had in common.
    And who else would bring me a bag of pony manure for a present?

    Annie

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  18. Annie, I'm glad you have so many happy memories of your dad. I'm sure he'd be delighted and proud to see your garden!

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  19. Annie,

    That was a sweet story about your dad. The connection between the flowers and your recollection of your father made me smile. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.~~Dee

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  20. What a wonderful tribute to your Dad, Annie! Gardens have a way of connecting us to both family and friends, don't they? I am fortunate that my Dad is still with me at age 83. As a retired farmer (but they never retire really) he enjoys puttering about his garden now. I know he would be aghast at the weeds growing in my vegetable garden right now:)

    Congratulations on winning the cobrahead from Anneliese; I bought one a few months ago and love it!

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  21. Isn't it nice the way our loved ones live on in our memories? I especially loved your black and white photo of your dad with his troop. I think after having survived the Great Depression, our grandparents and parents would say this mess with GM was bound to happen!

    That Hibiscus is amazing!

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  22. What a beautiful remembrance of your dad! You must miss him ~ he left wonderful memories for you.

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  23. Annie I can only echo what so many others have already written here. I am touched and honored at how you have shared your warm memories of your father with us so freely.

    My parents passed away long ago but I often stop to consider how pleased they would be with something I have growing here. Anybody watching me out the window would see a lady of a certain age, bending over a plant, smiling to herself.

    Have a lovely weekend. I am sure your Dad is smiling now, too.

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  24. A lovely and touching tribute, Annie. Your dad would be proud.

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  25. I can hear the love in your writing, Annie. My mom's been gone about the same amount of time but she's always near me in my garden, just as it seems your dad is near you in yours.

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  26. Annie, Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and remembrances of your Dad. I don't get to see my Mom or Dad very often these days due to heavy work schedule, but your post has inspired me to call them this evening just to say "I Love You"
    Thanks
    Wade

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  27. I have often wondered many of the things you wonder and speculate about here. Maybe we all do, but it refreshing to see it put into words now and then.

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  28. It's always a pleasure to read the thoughts you share with us, Annie. I'm sure your words would bring a smile to your dad's face (as it did to mine) and make him proud. I think most fathers are nervous about their teenage daughters. I know my hubby was :)
    It's my mum who accompanies me in my imagination as I potter in the garden. She'd adore your beautiful hibiscus!
    That same cali is among several that I bought this year. I love their easy care and long bloom period.
    Good guess on the horseradish, and lucky you to win the Cobrahead. It looks like a very handy tool. The horseradish looks very pretty when in full bloom. I have a large plant, inherited with the house, but don't harvest it as we're not fans of the flavor. I do like a little of it with certain foods.
    The old photo is wonderful. I've been trying to guess which one your dad is.
    I too wonder how your parents would feel about the recent fate of GM.
    The thought of the government taking over any company and placing it in the hands of incompetants makes me shudder, and leaves a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Another freedom usurped.

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  29. I've been putting off reading this post because I knew it would make me cry. My dad has been in my thoughts a lot lately as has one of my nephews; they both passed within five months of each other five years ago. The garden is a good place to remember the ones you loved and now miss. I'm not sorry now that I did read your post, Annie. It's a wonderful tribute to your dad, and I'm sure he would be proud of you and your garden in Austin. Your description of the beef dish reminds me of a special recipe my German mom used to prepare--rouladen. It's a bit time consuming to fix but so delicious!

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  30. What a lovely tribute to your father...I am sure he walked with you in spirit....

    I love tomatoes and basil....it is a match made in heaven. A plate of mozzarello (have I spelt that right)tomatoes and basil is a great summer salad......

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  31. Hi Annie,

    I just found your blog from Garden Web. Lovely photos, lovely story. I look forward to reading more!

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  32. PS -- Love it so much I added it to my blogroll.

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  33. I'm late coming to this post, Annie, but I loved it. My dad died 4 years ago this past Thursday, and I have yet to write a post about that this year. We miss them daily, but their idiosyncracies do show up sometimes in their offspring....

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  34. What a sweet post - it made me smile, thinking about all of the things in my own garden that now remind me of my Mother. These flowers - and their fragrances - linger, don't they? The comment about the pecan coming up in the hydrangea made me laugh - I often look at my garden, knowing that Mom is there in spirit - telling me that if I don't weed that one bed soon, it'll be too late. Annie, you'd better get those pecan trees out of there! :)

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  35. What a wonderful post. So, have you used that Cobra head yet? I have found mine to be indispensable in every aspect of my gardening life, and I am seriously considering getting another one so I won't have to always be running to the front in order to have the Cobra head in the vegetable garden.

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