Squares in January – Day 26

Beautiful Garden Variety Sunlight

These flowers are for my mother, Marie Clare, who passed away on this day 24 years ago.

Garden Variety Sunlight

I took these photos (with my iPhone) when visiting the Victorian State Rose Garden at Werribee Park when we were in Melbourne for 10 days over Christmas.

Just a 45-minute drive from our daughter’s place, (50+ with traffic holdups) the garden is set over five hectares and has 5,500 roses for everyone to enjoy free of charge. Around 100 members of the Victoria State Rose Garden Supporters Group (volunteers) maintain the garden.

My mother loved roses and grew the most amazing blooms in her front garden.  She would have loved a trip to any rose garden and would have been delighted to visit this incredible space dedicated to a flower she adored so much.  I thought of her the whole time we walked around.

Being late December, we were not visiting at either of the best times – November and March.

But, as my photos attest, there were still lots of gems to be found.

Mum’s favourite rose was Mr Lincoln, and she also loved Oklahoma.  She grew both and the house was often filled with their incredible fragrance.  I looked but couldn’t find either in the garden, however, this is one rose I believe my mother would have loved.

And I was so focused on taking it all in (and taking photos) that I didn’t record their names – silly me.

– ⋅ o ♥ o ⋅ –

As a young woman, my mother asked her mother to write her a poem.  She requested something ‘just for her’, and her mother wrote that she hoped she would make her memory a garden . . .

Planting there your happy hours,

So you can spend life’s sunset,

Among its beautiful flowers.

I like to think something of my mother is always with me, especially when I’m surrounded by beautiful flowers, whether in my own garden or in someone else’s.

– ⋅ o ♥ o ⋅ –

This is my next entry in Becky’s Square in January photo challenge _____light.