Friday 10 June 2011

Sweet William



Sweet William. Along with the bright colours of autumn dahlias, Sweet William always remind me of my Grandad's garden. He grew them every year without fail and I think I love them because of it. Grandad's garden was very organised. A small lawn for the grandkids to play on and a path up the middle seperating the remaining garden, with regimented rows of beans, potatoes,onions and peas doing their own thing, scrambling up the pea sticks. The other side of the garden was my favourite because that's where the flowers grew. Reds, yellows, blues and pinks. At that age, I couldn't identify most of the flowers, I just knew if they were pretty, or smelt good. The fences of the garden were low and much time was spent chatting to neighbours, although voices had to be raised to include those a couple of houses down the row. I can also remember the pigsty, almost a ruin then, hidden down in the far corner of the garden. I couldn't understand why this small red brick litle building was called a pigsty. I'd nver seen a pig there. But apparently, Grandad used to keep pigs during the war to supplement the rations. Although, not allowed to keep all of the pig when it was slaughtered, I'm sure it helped feed the family still left at home, not away fighting.





He was brought up in the countryside, his brother a shepherd I think. So keeping animals was a normal thing to do in those days......I think we're getting back to that way of life now aren't we?
I think there may have been chickens too at one time.

I also remember the Anderson shelter. It intrigued me, even scared me a little. Many people kept these after the war and Grandad's was still going strong in the sixties and seventies when I was young. It was split into two sections, with an entrance at either end of the shelter. One side was used as a little work shop, with a bench and tools hanging around the corrugated iron walls. The other side was full of plant pots and other gardening paraphanaelia. It was here that the onions were strung and hung in the autumn.

Well, last Saturday whilst shopping in town, I saw these flowers and had to buy a couple of bunches and bring them home with me. They still look pretty today, some in the lounge and a few on a kitchen shelf, reminding me of my Grandad's garden. Do flowers bring back memories for you? I would love to know. I know that foxgloves always make me think of my husband and I suspect cow parsley in the lanes always remind him of me. Flowers...don't they bring back evocative memories.

15 comments:

Coco Rose Diaries said...

Ah I love Sweet Wiliam. Such a happy bunch. I often buy a bunch when they are in season at my local florist on the school walk. There is something quite lovely about walking with a pretty bunch of flowers in your hand!

I associate Periwinkles with sunny days, sand dunes and beautiful memories!

Have a lovely weekend! xxx

Pipany said...

I love sweet williams too. Such a lovely old fashioned flower, though whenever I pick some I seem to bring thousands of earwigs in with them! x

Sarah said...

Love Sweet Williams too. They are so reasonably priced and last for an age.
Have a good weekend!

Simone said...

A lovely post full of fond memories. When I think of my Mum's and my Nan's gardens when I was small I think of antirrhinums (bunny rabbits),roses,and wallflowers. My Uncle Wal grew mainly tomatoes and Dahlias. x

Miss Magpie said...

Spring flowers remind me of my Nan. Violets, anenomes, daffodils, lilac.

Kath said...

My Grandad was called William, so these flowers are one of my favourites.

Rosie said...

I have a jug full of Sweet William in my window at the moment - I love them. My step dad's garden was always lawn one side and regimented rows of vegetables on the othr plus gooseberry bushes and raspberry canes. He used to hang his onions in the shed. Spring flowers and woodland flowers remind me of my Mum - she loved violets and bluebells. Lilac trees and red peonies always remind me of my childhood home. Daisies and buttercups of playing on the school field in summer:)

Thedarkerside73 said...

What a lovely post!

I have very fond memories of both my grandparents gardens. One set lived in a rural little village and had a lovely garden growing all manner of things. Complete with a village church in the background. How I loved that.

My other grandparents had a much smaller garden but that didnt stop them! With a avery at one time as my Gramps was keen on birds then a greenhouse with a fishpond. We had a huge garden growning up but my dad wasnt really into gardening so my let my Gramps have free reign where he grow lots of veggies. Which we all shared. Happy memories.

My favourite flower is the rose. I love the way they look and smell. An old next door neighbour used to pick one for me on my birthday when I was small. So they always make me smile.

Thanks for such a memory jogging post. Sounds like you have wonderful memories of your times in your grandparents garden.


MBB x

Catherine said...

I love Sweet William too and have purchased a few bunches in the last few weeks. Roses remind me of my grandad. My dad gave me a slip from my grandad's rose bush and it is growing and flowering merrily through my hedge now and I love it! Cx

Dawn said...

As soon as I swa your photo of Sweet Williams, I thought 'they remind me of my grandparents garden', so it amused me no end to see that is exactly what you said too!

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

My Dad, who was christened William, though known as 'Billy' or 'Bill' liked Sweet Williams and I always think of him when I see these beautiful flowers and breathe their soft scent. Lovely photos Tracey. Have a good weekend. Lesley x

Rose H (UK) said...

I love Sweet Willams too, and have vivid memories of my Nan's garden and greenhouse (always a little scary because of the spiders!)It's the deep red Ena Harkness rose, and yellow blush Peace that always remind me of her.
I think it's wonderful that we do have such lovely childhood family memories to treasure.

potterjotter said...

I think of Sweet Williams as just the essence of summer, but our garden as kids was just roses, roses, roses. We used to make 'scent' from the petals! Nice.

Jenny Woolf said...

Lupins make me think of my grandmother's garden. Actually, her husband (my step grandfather) grew them and I loved sitting in the garden playing with little dolls amongst the lupins. The scent of lupins, and also of currant, takes me right back - more actually than the look of the plant.

Louise said...

Antirrhinums remind me of my Grandad. As a kid I used to love popping the Bunny Rabbit Ears! x