myrtle

I needed to replace a tree damaged in the hurricane, but my profound lack of horticultural knowledge made the choice difficult.

After two years of fretfulness I finally decided to go with a crepe myrtle in honor of my favorite great-grandmother, Myrtle Lavender, who did in fact have exceptional gardening skills. She was an impressive lady: an immigrant who worked in the family dairy business for decades while burying or raising children, then stepped away without complaint when her son wanted to take over the store.

Myrtle married for love twice, the final time in her eighties, and after her second husband died lived alone until she was nearly a hundred years old. She was the only member of the Lavender clan who offered to look after me when I was diagnosed with cancer at age twelve, and the only one who celebrated the birth of my first child. She was quiet, and diligent, and kind. I’m really glad she lived long enough to meet my daughter.

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