After my grandmother died in 2008, the family began cleaning out the house and distributing her things to family members. Grandma loved to work in the garden and among her flowers. I have many plants that she gave me starts of, and I’m also pleased to have these planters and this watering can. Someone for whom my grandfather worked gave Grandma these cast-iron planters because she no longer wanted them. I brushed off the flaking paint, painted them black, and filled them with sedum and other plants and put them on the porch. I think that both they and Grandma are happy that they are being used and enjoyed again.
As we were leaving Grandma’s house back in April after we loaded her dining room set on a moving truck bound for St. Louis, I noticed three galvanized watering cans. My sister lives in St. Louis, and she flew back to help load the truck and drove it back. We put one can on the truck to St. Louis for my sister, my uncle took one, and I got this one. I use it regularly; it’s just more pleasant and prettier to use than the plastic version. When I picked these flowers, I used it as a temporary container.
We all have things in our homes that remind us of people that have passed away. I especially like to have things that I can actually use. I have a pair of post-hole diggers that belonged to my grandfather, who died before I was old enough to remember him. Although I use them infrequently, I imagine him digging the numerous post-holes he must have chiseled into the clay soil of the cow pasture.
