Jeanne

I name flowers in my garden after the friends who've given them to me. I have dahlias called Gwen, Gabrielle and Gail--a coincidence that they are all Gs. These irises are from my Aunt Jeanne. They ran amok in the field behind her farmhouse, and they seem to be carrying on the tradition in my backyard. I've divided them many times and given them away in turn; I like to think of Jeanne in so many gardens all over town. She's been gone for many years, but she's here with gusto every spring.

The tree on the left is our trusty little Gravenstein--pies and applesauce soon to follow. And on the back fence is a crazy rose that wants to take over the world--Madame Alfred Carriere, which I started as a little cutting from a pruning demo.