When I was still living in Ohio many years ago, I started working with a woman named Stevie. As friendships tend to go, I eventually was invited to her home for a get-together. At the time, Stevie was staying in her childhood home with her mother, Lynda. For one reason or another, a bunch of us ended up in Lynda’s backyard, and I have to tell you, I did not want to leave!
As soon as we stepped out the back door and onto her deck, I was absolutely mesmerized by Lynda’s backyard. It…was…breathtaking! I never knew a backyard garden could be so beautiful–especially in the city!
Lynda lives in a Cleveland suburb called Cuyahoga Falls. It’s a small, quiet, community-based city. Right around 200 years old, it’s a great mixture of old and new, tradition and trend. Lynda lives in a neighborhood developed in the late 1940’s, in a typical 1940’s home, with a typical 1940’s lot–less than a 1/4 of an acre.
But somehow Lynda has managed, through hard work, dedication, and a pure love for gardening, to transform her backyard into a wonderland. From the first moment I saw Lynda’s backyard, I told her and her daughter, Stevie, that I wanted to vacation there. It became a joke over time, me saying I was going to pitch a tent in Lynda’s backyard and just stay for a few days, but the truth is, if I had had a tent (and if they wouldn’t have thought I was completely nuts!), I would have done it.
Walking through Lynda’s backyard garden makes you completely forget you’re in the city. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it feels like you’re in a dream. The mixture of colorful flowers, luscious greens, the trickling waterfall, the antique out-buildings, the hidden “workshop”, the trellised vines, the brick pathways…UH! I can’t even contain my joy!
Lynda’s backyard is an oasis–a welcome sight to anyone thirsty for beauty, nature, and the desire to imagine that city life can be more than any gardener could dream possible! I hope to one day have a backyard garden like this. It is an absolute inspiration to anyone who dares to imagine.
Thank you, Lynda, for sharing your garden and always putting up with my drooling every time I got a chance to see it! And thank you, Stevie, for taking the time to capture some wonderful shots of it!
There were too many to include here in the blog, so I have created a photoset on Flickr for all to see: Lynda’s Backyard Garden Oasis. Please readers, take a moment to visit the photoset and soak it all in.
Until next time, take care and happy gardening!
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