Day 135

A few years ago, my husband and I decided to plant a tree in the garden bed that sits directly in front of our main front window. The west side of our house gets nailed by sunshine all afternoon which raised the temperature of our front room considerably. Additionally, this area was one that I hoped to be a bit of a showcase as it was what everyone would see when they came to our front door- and the incessant heat drastically reduced the types of plants that could tolerate the constant heat.

Knowing we didn't want a huge tree, and hoping for something a bit ornamental, we perused the local nursery, where we found The Forest Pansy.

No, we didn't find a gnome in brightly colored clothes flitting around and giggling among the plants. We found a tree that displays showy purple flowers each spring, which look great against my chocolate-brown house. And to make things even better- this tree has heart-shaped leaves.

My husband is a paramedic and I am a cardiac nurse. We have been married for 15 years. So what could be better than to plant something alive that symbolizes so well what we are both individually and as a unit.

Each spring, our Pansy tree blooms small, intricate purple flowers. Those flowers then make way for small, waxy purple leaves. THe branches are long and graceful, arching down over our front walkway to greet friends and neighbors who come to visit. I walk by them and smile, especially on days with a clear blue sky, because I can stand underneath it's branches and look up to see nothing but the silhouettes of hearts everywhere.

Today's pic represents the joy of planting something that has personal meaning. Long after we are gone, that tree will remain as a symbol of two people who loved the lives they lived there.