By Shannon Williams
Plants are wonderful things and have been a part of my life for many years. I don’t remember my mother working in her garden until I was in high school, but at that time there were only 2 of 5 left at home, so I guess she had some time to do what she loved to do. If I needed to have a talk with her about something in my life I would go and sit next to her while she worked her garden beds; I am not sure I helped much, but I must have picked up some tricks from her!

I know I had plants in my dorm rooms, in fact somehow I got interested in African Violets and grew them in my dorm room. It was a great way to have something to take care of (other than my roommates) and they were just so pretty. Before I finished my degree, I had the special pots and lights, but have not grown them since. I think I brought a small gardenia bush for my first apartment. I don’t know why I ever thought I could grow one of those in West Texas, but I kept it alive for at least a few months, before it burned up.

The first house that I owned already had a small garden and I added lots to it and began to spend time doing one of my favorite hobbies, buying plants and trading plants! You were not supposed to plant until Good Friday, but I would cheat and take off on the Thursday before and go plant shopping. In a small community about 25 miles away, they had a large wholesale nursery and they would sell to the public. I know for the next 25 years I was there, along with a ton of other West Texas ladies early on that day to buy my plants.

I thought I had really arrived as an adult on the day the owner of the local plant nursery offered me a charge account, that only lasted one season, as I was paying that bill down till next spring. I would then save up my plant money and set a limit for my plant shopping. Each time I moved to another home, I had to take my plants and rocks with me. The rocks came from several trips to Big Bend; hubby was not to happy about bringing them to the beach, but they are here. I did bring some of my mother’s Gerber daisies, in fact I have brought them 3 times and just was not able to keep them alive down here.

Plants that are gifts or passed down are so special. I have several from my mother in law and that sweet Charlotte gifted me with all sorts of plants before she left Crystal Beach; and I have enjoyed watching them all bloom and see all the colors. I planted the Easter Lilies that I buy each year and those have bloomed also! After a long day working and then dealing with all of the ugliness in the world right now, spending time with plants is a wonderful thing to do!

[Jun-7-2022]