Nostalgic Gardening

Besides horseback riding, my mom and I frequently spent time together in the garden next to our house. She would teach me which plants needed to be planted in the shade and which ones would come back next year after winter. Our dog and cats would sit out with us while we planted ferns and assembled mulch around the garden. I didn't start to appreciate this family activity with my mom until I was about to go off to college because as a kid I often saw this as a chore even though I enjoyed being outdoors. My love for plants and gardening persists today, as I have 15+ succulents and ferns in my dorm room and aspire to get more this summer. I love the fact that I associate gardening with my mom because that will be a connection I have to her when she is no longer with me.

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