greentapestry : Mum's Snowdrops

Saturday 31 December 2016

Mum's Snowdrops


This little cameo is from one of a set of framed paintings, which have a special place of honour, hanging above the fireplace in our our living room. They depict the four seasons and were all painted by my Mum who sadly died earlier this month, just five days short of her ninety second birthday. Painting was one of the mains loves of her life along with gardening. I wish that I could have inherited her artistic talent in my genetic make up but it was not to be. Instead this painting along with its companions is providing me with some comfort as what has been a most stressful and painful year comes to a close.

Mum was Italian and although she came to this country over sixty years ago she still missed the warmth and sunshine of Roman summers. As a child she could go out into the garden and pick apricots and figs. She always especially cherished violets and cyclamens which were familiar to her when she was growing up. In later years her mobility was very restricted but she showed great tenacity and determination to tend to the alpine bed full of her treasures. On a beautiful summer afternoon this year I took her out into the garden, where from her wheelchair she managed to weed and prune, as well as to direct me to carry out other tasks. That was to be our last excursion into the garden together where over the years we had spent many hours working together or sometimes just sitting and being.

Just opposite her kitchen door is a is long and thin strip of earth, where snowdrops will be flowering soon. I will be digging up a clump of them to bring home with me, where they will have a special patch to grow in along with some of the other flowers that she loved.

I wish all my blogging friends a happy, healthy and peaceful year to come and I hope that 2017 treats your patch of earth kindly. Thank you for visiting and for all your much treasured wise, witty and simply wonderful comments which make blogging such a pleasurable experience.

30 comments:

  1. Anna, I'm sorry about your mum, though I've been expecting your sad post for a while. May she rest in peace, and you draw comfort from her wonderful paintings. How marvellous she painted snowdrops - they must have been a shared favourite of you both xxx

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    1. Thank you so much Michelle. Sadly Mum went downhill from August onwards. Snowdrops were a mutual favourite and over the years some of mine ended up in her garden. I may well end up bringing the same clump back :)

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  2. I am sorry 2016 has been so unkind to you. It seems to have been a bad year all round for many people. We have had some stressful periods too but so far have survived. After recent bereavement it is a long process towards being able to truly get on with life. Time doesn't heal but it does facilitate adjustment. Let's hope for a kinder 2017.

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    1. Many thank for your thoughtful words Sue. Yes 2016 has not been the best of years for many. I'm looking forward hopefully to a gentler year and I hope that it's kind to you.

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  3. Such a beautiful painting, you obviously inherited your love of snowdrops from your mum. I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. Sending you lots of hugs and wishing for better things from 2017 xx

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment and kind thoughts Jo xxx

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  4. What a wonderful treasure to have of your Mium. Make sure you bring home all the plants you love from your Mums garden.I have plants in the garden from both my Mums and Great Aunts garden, they are wonderful reminders of two gardeners in my life.

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    1. Thanks for your comment and sound advice Brian. I'm going to do my best to bring back some snippets of my favourite plants from Mum's garden.

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  5. A beautiful tribute to your Mum and her beloved snowdrops. May memories of your special times together in her garden and the support of your family and friends, including the blogging community, comfort you during this dark time. Beautiful painting!

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    1. Thank you so much Peter for your thoughtful words which are much appreciated.

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  6. Oh Anna I am so sorry to hear of your mum's passing.....what treasured memories you have from her garden and her life and art.....she was truly gifted and loved! Wishing you a New Year of peace, love and light!

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    1. Thank you for your comment Donna - it's reassuring to have those treasured memories. I hope that you are healing and that you will be back blogging before long. Wishing you all the best for the New Year too.

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  7. Many of the plants in my garden remind me of my mother, my sister, my father.
    Good to have those happy memories as the years roll by.

    My sympathy on your loss. I have a pot of bluebells from my mother.

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    1. Thank you for your condolences Diana. It's so comforting the way that plants can remind us of people that we have held dear. Your bluebells must be special.

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  8. Sad to hear your Mum has gone Anna. Her plants will live on and remind you of the time spent with her in her garden. I hope you will be able to rehome a few more of her plants as well, but I know the snowdrops are such a favourite of yours. Warm thoughts and best wishes for the new year Anna.

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    1. I'm hoping to rehome a few more of her plants Cathy although the snowdrops will hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for your thoughtful words.

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  9. So sad to hear about your mum Anna, having lost my mum this year I know how you are feeling. What a beautiful painting your mum was a talented painter and gardener too from reading your post. I've got so many plants in my garden that came from my mum and it is a lovely thing to see a treasured snowdrop and to think of your mum. Kind thoughts to you and your family and hope 2017 brings a better year for you xxx

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    1. Oh Annie last year was difficult for us both and do I hope that the New Year is much gentler. It seems that many of us inherit our love of plants from parents and how wonderful it is that your mum has passed on many of her plants to you.

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  10. I don't remember you mentioning her love of painting before, Anna; how lovely to have these paintings as a reminder of her, her talent and her love of certain plants - and the clump of snowdrops you dig up will be especially cherished xx

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    1. I don't think I've mentioned Mum's love of painting here before Cathy. Perhaps I will show more of her work in the future. You've hit the nail on the head - the snowdrops will be especially cherished :) xxx

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  11. I am so sorry for the loss of your mum; it must have been at about the same time as my MIL; I hope you can draw comfort from all your happy memories. Her painting of the snowdrops is charming, it beautifully captures their fragile strength. 2016 was a very difficult year and I think we will have to work hard to make 2017 better. My thoughts are with you at this very sad time.

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    1. Thank you so much for your condolences Christina. I'm so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. I thought that you had been quiet for some time. Thinking of you and your husband too xxx

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  12. Hi Anna. I'm so sorry to hear of your mum's passing. So lovely that you shared a love of gardening. I have flowers from my dad's garden here and I think of him every time they bloom. Her snowdrops will bring you that same connection. All the best for a wonderful new year.
    Sherry

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    1. Lovely to hear from you Sherry and wishing you all the best too! xxx

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  13. Oh Anna, I'm so sorry about this but I also envy people who have had their parents for such a long time (I lost mine when I was a kid). The painting is beautiful. She clearly passed on her love of plants to her daughter. And through the painting she'll always be with you. Best wishes for 2017, Annette

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    1. Thank you for your most thoughtful and kind words Annette. Your comment made me pause and realise that I have been most fortunate to have got to the age of 60 plus and to have had a mother in my life for all those years. Best wishes for the New Year to you too xxx

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  14. I am so sorry for your loss, Anna. I lost my own mother just a year ago yesterday, and I still think of her every day. My mother was quite a seamstress, and I find comfort in the quilts and projects that she made that I have kept. Your mother was quite a talented artist! I hope that these lovely paintings and happy memories of times spent with her--and the snowdrops in the spring--will bring you comfort and peace in the days ahead.

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  15. Such sad news to end the year on, Anna - my heart goes out to you as I lost my dad in January last year. It sounds as though we're on a parallel track as I've just spent December moving a few keepsake plants from my mum's garden as the house has been sold. I hope that you'll find a quiet joy in having your mum's snowdrops and wish you the best for 2017. Caro xx

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  16. I haven't visited for a while, Anna, and just read your news. I'm so sorry for the loss of your mum. But flowers from her garden are a wonderful link to her and your memories of her. And they will be happy memories, though it is sometimes hard to believe that when it's all so raw. Take care of yourself x

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  17. Sorry that I found this post a bit late. I am so sorry about your loss Anna, I know you have had a very difficult year. I hope you will have plenty of time to enjoy your garden this year and to sit in the sun. Your Mum was very talented, what a lovely picture. And your special love, snowdrops too. It is lovely.

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All your comments are much appreciated and treasured. I wil try to reply to everyone who leaves a comment, but it may take me a few days, especially when I start spending more time in the garden and at the lottie. I know that you will understand :) I am sure that I will also visit your blog if I have not already done so. If you have any specific questions I will either reply to them here or you can email me at : thegreentapestry@gmail.com

Namasté

- Anna.