My garden 2022

 This iris is an old fashioned two tone purple with an orange beard and came from my mother's garden. It was destroyed (after years of nurturing) by the water pipe replacement winter of 2020-2021. The loss was deep as it reminded me of both my mother and husband, both dead. 

And now I realize just how difficult it is going to be to replace this plant since this is an old fashioned Heritage plant. Mother and I had these in our gardens for years and I may not be able to replace the plant.  I do so feel this terrible loss, though I am not sure if it is for the plant or my mother or my husband or all three. Or am I lamenting the passage of Time and the loss of all things eventually. 

It is a beautiful iris. I want replace it. I am going to look carefully in May for any signs of smaller plants that may have been scattered across the lawn and flowerbeds by digging equipment. I do see a few of the white ones pushing out here and there. Maybe one of these survived. I nursed this one for years and it was so beautiful. I had no idea it was a heritage plant, but now looking back at my mother's garden, I should have known better. I've attempted to maintain the plants she gave me over the years and have been successful to a degree. But the iris was her favorite plant. She loved them so. She could not grow them in Greenville, the town we moved from years ago. It never got cold enough.

Speaking of cold, after the last two winters, I will never wish to live anywhere north of where I live in the entire world. If anything I wish to live south of where I live, closer to New Orleans. I need the sun. I need warmth. Winters ruin me.