What's your favorite type of flower?
Of all the flowers I love, I would say my favorite is the Johnny Jump-up flower ( http://bit.ly/jump-ups ). The reason for Johnny Jump-ups being my favorite is mainly because of the childhood memories evoked almost every time I look at one of those tiny flowers. It was the first flower I remember and imprinted in my mind as a little child. Whenever I would go to my grandparents' house in Glendale, Arizona, I would catch glimpses of those bright, tiny flowers peeking from small clumps in their front yard. My grandfather was especially proud of what he planted around his home, on the yard, and in the gardens. I recall my first experience tasting and eating a fresh fig picked from one of the trees my grandfather planted. He also planted peach and citrus trees. I remember going outside to play on the swing set with my siblings and cousins near the boysenberry patch and the wall of growing grapevines. We would sneak and pick some berries or grapes to snack on. Whenever there is a large crop of fruit harvested, my grandmother would welcome other family members to join in to help pit, peel and prepare the fruits for canning and making jam or jelly. Store-bought products doesn't even compare to my grandmother's goods! Through her example and my mother's guidance, I learned how to can my own set of jam. I remember how good it tasted and how proud I was! My grandmother always made sure her grandchildren understood the importance of learning new things, developing new and nurture old hobbies. When I got older, I remember my grandparents needing help pick the grapefruits off their trees. Boy, those were so delicious, juicy and huge, bigger than the average baby's head! I also remember my grandmother working hard on her quilts in her sewing room. That's where I was drawn to learn to quilt. When my mother started quilting more often, my brothers, sisters and I all made at least one quilt of our own. Almost throughout the year, there's always a few clumps of Johnny Jump-ups growing somewhere in my grandparents' yard or garden like constant reminders. I had great memories from watching my grandparents grow many things from their home. I learned it is important to know how to do gardening and make my own food so I will always have something to eat or share with my family or friends. So, whenever I see a Johnny Jump-up flower pop up, it seems to tell me,
"Hi! Did you remember to do what you learned from your grandparents?"
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