Dear Reader:

I don’t remember when I decided to plant a Japanese Maple for each grandchild as they came along…but I am so glad  I did. I can’t think of a better gift than the gift of life…the gift of a tree that gives back such beauty to the world. This is what I want each of my grandchildren to do…give back the beauty of themselves.

I, in all my lack of knowledge, didn’t really know anything about Japanese Maples except I loved them…delicate but yet so strong…and so beautiful in the fall and spring. So I decided to form one side of the perimeter of the garden with them.

They are all growing but have also struggled with the amount of sun they get, particularly in the summer. My backyard gets lots and lots of sun…there are few places where there is any substantial amount of shade.

Some Japanese Maples…the lighter ones can take it a little bit better but the darker maples get the white spots on them after a long, dry blistering summer. I pray each summer that each of the four maples can survive another relentless summer heat wave.

It all started in 2013 once the garden outline had been designed…I planted the first Japanese maple. It is a beauty…a beautiful shade of green with orange shades in the fall. It is about four years old now and finally getting established.It  has grown several feet this past year.

2010 April 27- Eva Cate

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It is named after the oldest grandchild…to date my only granddaughter…who is seven. This summer I think I will be able to put a little bird-feeder on her tree for the first time.

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This one Japanese Maple stood alone for two  years…and suddenly things starting “popping” …like three more grandchildren…all boys! So in the fall of 2015 I returned to the Hollow Tree Nursery and got three more Japanese Maple saplings. They were all on sale and quite small.

I didn’t realize it at the time but the boys’ maples were different colors…none of them green. The boys were brownish/red except for Rutledge’s which was a deep dark red. ( since he has the darkest hair-beautiful- I think this tree was meant for him)

I placed the trees around the garden in chronological order. Eva Cate’s was already growing (2 year head start on the boys) and the boys all were planted when Lachlan was born two years ago.

June 18 2013- Rutledge

*The trees are all “precious in His sight.” (Jakie has learned that line at the Citadel Square Baptist Pre-School he attends) …Every time Jakie and Eva Cate get into an argument and she calls him a “Brat”…he responds by saying, “I’m not a BRAT…I’m Precious!” And he is…along with all my grandchildren…”They are precious in my sight.” So next…

2014 September 24 – Jake Turner

Then last ( but not least) our little lepracham arrived on St Patrick’s Day 2015.

2015 March 17 – Lachlan

So until tomorrow…I hope one day to sit in the shade under the grandchildren’s Japanese maples and tell them stories about the time when they were planted..and remind them that “Great things and people take time to grow!”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*I took the rescued orange Gerber daisies and moved them to the children’s bench near the fountain…they look quite relieved and very happy.

*Then I took these beautiful potted Angelonia and moved them to the Ya bench….um…purple on one side of the fountain and orange on the other…those colors sound familiar? 🙂

Today is our Ya Libby’s Official Birthday! We love you dear friend of ours…the most giving Ya and person in the world! Happy Birthday!