Friendship Garden

The friendship garden, sometimes called a pass-along garden, is as old as our culture and probably much older. Most of the plants in my flower beds came from three friends, Barbara, Kathy, and Mary Lynn. Having benefited so many times from these friends' generosity, I was happy to arrange a hosta exchange yesterday between Kathy and Barbara.



Kathy has been giving away hosta plants whose shady habitat was destroyed when a huge tree fell across her front yard. I called Barbara, the hosta queen, who enthusiastically agreed to give some of the hostas a new home. Toad lilies were part of the adoption agreement.




Although they had never met before, Barb and Kathy quickly bonded over hostas, garden writers, politics, and the delicious Connecticut coffee cake Barb served.




Here's a small portion of Barb's park-like back yard. The new hostas will go in a friendship bed to the right of this photo.