As I take time to mourn the loss of my mother I find myself looking closer at the growing space she tended for close to 40 years. She + my Dad took the space through many iterations. It was a massive vegetable garden, it was a zen garden, it was a dinner garden. It laid fallow for 2 years after her departure. There are so many memories on that fraction of an acre.

Our remaining family slowly began to work on it again in 2020. Dad made grids + structures that weave around the things that were already there: the perennial plants, the rock gardens, the blooming bushes and groundcovers. Things I always looked at for a few blissful moments before sitting down for an outdoor meal.

But on this day, as I remember Mama, I look at some of her plants even closer.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I have such good memories of the classic spearmint she intentionally allowed to grow wildly anywhere it wanted to – which was just fine with us because we put endless amounts of it in ice water + cold tea for summer.

She made the most abundant, overcrowded, aromatic herb container gardens. She crafted them from half-barrels that once held wine. For decades there were several varieties of mint, there was flowering garlic and chive. There was lemon balm, lavender, + thyme. All on her little urban farm. Every year the scent would be more and more intoxicating.

Apart from veggies + herbs, she loved to plant trees. And she grew perennials. I remember Mom + Dad would always pick up the annual marigolds from the spring plant sales for the tomatoes…but she always maintained her perennials. And once in awhile they would plant “random” bulbs which still come up today.

Iris

An amazing aromatic. A natural remedy for conditions such as coughs and lung conditions. Found around the world; North America is just one of the origins.

Peony

It’s said that the plant itself can last for a century. Just one plant! North America is one origin point of the plant – there are at least 40 varieties known today. Peonies’ roots, seeds, and flowers are said to have curative abilities, including internal issues + night tremors. Its antioxidant properties help fight bacteria, viruses, and harmful substances in the body.

White Sage

Best known today for purification and ceremonial use. “Smudging” is a well-known tradition and this action has studied positive health effects: purification of the air around us is very real + beneficial.

The ancient Indigenous used it in various treatments: the leaves were smoked + made into a tea (i.e., its anti-bacterial + astringent qualities treated sore throat issues), and it was used in sauna-like structures to cure colds. 

I learned that this plant produces the sought-after “chia seeds” for their nutrients + trace elements. They contain zinc, phosphorus, vitamin A, E and C, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and even omega-3 fatty acids. It’s said that there’s more omega-3 in them than salmon! Wow. 

Of course, white sage is a culinary herb as well. The Indigenous people of this land used it for millennia in many wonderful recipes, including aromatic breads + pastries, and even cereals. The leaves and stems held a wide variety of cooking applications that are still in use today.

Mama had a very layered way of cooking. 

Absolutely every meal she made was this amazing experience and a result of her timing + balance of flavors. My favorite meal she made, well, my favorite two meals were roast chicken + rice, and the savory meatloaf that I can still taste anytime I think of it. She had a deep understanding of how to use fresh chopped, dried, and infused herbs + spices. 

Electric Violet is the anchor color of this site because I remember how much she loved it. Electric Violet is in memory of Mama. She was cosmic. She is cosmic.

So were the Indigenous of this land, people that I’m honored to be descended from. They are a hidden history of deep knowledge + skill I am just beginning to see + study. It’s a promising path.