My friend, who was so ill, died last Friday. I was privileged to be considered a close friend and was with the family when she passed. I’m glad she’s no longer in pain, but sad because we were gardening friends and spring is almost here – a time of the year she loved.

This morning I cleaned off my garden bench in the garage. On a sheet of yellowed newspaper were some dried out hyacinth bean pods. Every year my friend would start a couple of hyacinth bean plants for me and they were beautiful during the summer and fall. Last fall, for some reason, I saved some of the pods.

In a few weeks I’ll start hyacinth bean seedlings from the plant she gave me, and share them at a memorial we are planning. The memory of her will live on in our gardens. She’ll be smiling.