Down in the Valley

We were in LA this past weekend, to visit Doris, my mother-in-law. She lives in Encino, in the San Fernando Valley, in Los Angeles. They were experiencing what locals call "June Gloom." It wasn't particularly warm, with cloudy, rainy mornings which clear up by noon.

LA has a wonderful growing climate, with abundant sunshine and mild winters. Roses are abundant and are everywhere and I always have had serious LA rose envy. In Cleveland, I would fuss, spray, feed, and prune every year and then winter in Pepper Pike would slam us and they would die back and have to start all over in the spring. By August, half the leaves would yellow and fall off from a condition called mildew. My plants would finish the growing season looking worse than they started. I would go out to LA and covet my father-in-law's tea roses that were stately, five feet tall and covered with long stems holding up the most perfect huge blossoms.

The visit was different, without my father-in-law Sidney there, but we enjoyed visiting with Doris , taking her out to her favorite restaurants, and catching up on family news. We worked in the yard, ran errands to Home Depot, made small repairs and felt satisfied taking care of the plants that Sidney so loved in his garden and making Doris's environment safe and more enjoyable. She did a remarkable job taking care of Sidney, and we appreciate her. And, she is just an enjoyable person to be around.