Mini-botanical garden birthday gift
I called birthday years that began new decades ‘life chapters’; 2021 started my ‘80th chapter’. What I really wanted as a gift wasn’t possible in March – to bring together all the children and grandchildren to spend a long weekend celebration at a resort. Instead, my wish to create a mini-botanical garden on our apartment’s small outdoor covered porch emerged. It seemed every time I hung plants or put potted flowers out, by mid-summer they died. I remembered writing an article for the Atlanta Jewish Times about Eugene Cohn, who created gorgeous container gardens. With ‘Mom’s birthday gift’ contributions from my husband and children, Eugene put her magic green thumb to work, making a perfect plan.
Who knew that the sun’s direction was so important? With a shaded porch by noon, I needed begonias – not sun-loving geraniums. For privacy, hip-high containers found at Pike’s gotyear-round fascia shrubs with ivy. Flower boxes bought at Home Depot were filled with begonia, petunias, and ivy.
Whether we sit outside or view the porch from our kitchen or living room -my personal botanical porch garden brings me joy every day even if it’s raining and when there’s a breeze, metal wind sculptures have me look up to the sky, feeling grateful for living in the moment that day. www.FloraRosefsky.com
