Sepia Saturday - 21 April 2012 A garden from the heart

Sepia Saturday

May I present, our garden of love, in honor of Earth Day 2012

Once upon a Sepia Saturday, a very long, long time ago, there lived an old woman, and she lived in an even older house, surrounded by millions of weeds.

Millions I tell you!

Photo courtesy of Frances Benjamin Johnston - 1864-1952

Beware of what lurks behind this gate!  Even her gardens appeared seriously disturbed and reflected years of neglect.  Of course, like so many stories go, all the townsfolk stayed away.  They never came to call.

Photo credits by Joseph Elliott Library of Congress, Washington D.C.

Even her backyard, which began from the city park was doomed and unbearable. It's hard to imagine it was once a stately residence.  

Now, you're probably expecting to hear about the local children from this charming neighborhood and their adventures of chasing a bouncing ball into the old lady's grounds?


BUT,

Photo courtesy of Bayview Alabama, School Garden Tennessee Coal and Iron and Railroad Company of children gardening.

Sorry, that's not my story.


Well, these are a few of the neighborhood youngsters, but they weren't after a lost ball at all.  Although, they did have a mission.

They were celebrating, Earth Day (which was in the distant far-away future) and BE KIND to YOUR NEIGHBOR WEEK.

They knew deep down in their sweet little hearts, and growing minds that there was a sad old lady who lived by herself.  Mostly, they knew she needed their kindness.

Photo courtesy of Russell Lee 1903-1986 taken in May 1938.

They arrived in teams of both young and old, but all of them were children, except a teacher or two that followed along just to observe.

Photo courtesy of Lewis Wickes Hine, September 1910, group of hard working between the ages of 13 and 15 years old. (Yep, all dressed up and ready to go places.)

There was talk in town that these children had heard the tall tale of "A million dollars being hidden somewhere on the old lady's grounds" since she was extremely wealthy and never trusted banks.  Could they have been after her secret stash buried about her over grown yard?

Do turtles ever fly?

Courtesy of Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1920.

True story or not, these hard working, big-hearted children living in the old lady's city by the sea, never found as much as a penny.  But they crafted a mighty fine piece of heaven around the old lady's home sweet home.

I'm just saying, who would argue that this isn't a true story here at Sepia Saturday?

If you want to view more Sepia Saturday go here

http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2012/04/sepia-saturday-122-21-april-2012.html