A gift of seeds grows into lasting memories

I lost one of my dearest friends last month, something that seems to keep happening more frequently as I age. I’d like to pass on something she did that I will continue to do and hope those of you in this age group will consider.

For Christmas, she gave me a gift certificate for rare seeds from a company that, unless you are a really avid gardener, none of us would have ever heard of. I was able to order unique offerings for this year’s and hopefully many future gardens. This means I can not only have the beautiful memories of my friend right there in my hands every year, but I can also share the bounty of her gift.

There is an interesting side story. I was a little unsure as to how to go about claiming the seeds, so I called the company. Unfortunately, the person with whom I spoke and I could not understand each other. Ultimately I became irritable, and finally told her, “You are not helping me,” and hung up.

Now I know that companies record their calls. They tell you so. I didn’t know they paid any attention. About an hour later, I received a call from the owner. He was extremely apologetic and kind, offering to take my order over the phone, and saying he understood the communication problem. I ended up apologizing, thinking I may have been a little rude when I hung up. It was amazing to me that in this day and age when you can’t ever get ahold of a real human being on the phone, one would actually take the time to call me.

I was able to get enough seeds that I can share some of them with fellow gardening friends. What a fine gift this is. You wouldn’t have to give a whole garden’s worth of seeds as a gift. Wouldn’t it be fun to wrap and give one little seed that is going to grow into a 10-foot-tall sunflower?

Wouldn’t a child love to have enough seeds for a little garden of their own? All of the seeds in this catalog are heirloom, so that you can keep some at the end of the summer and keep planting them for years to come.

My friend had a wonderful sense of humor. If she were to have read this, she would probably say, “So that’s how you’re going to introduce me in the future…meet my friend, the vegetable?

The kind gentleman said it would take about three weeks for the gift to come. I told him I live in Ohio and don’t need them that early. Everything works out for the best.

It is time to sit in front of the little fireplace in my TV room and plan where I’m going to plant everything. With each little plot comes a warm memory of my dear friend who will remain in my thoughts and my heart forever.