The Daffodil Garden
The Daffodil Garden
by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards
Several times my daughter had telephoned to
say,"Mother, you must come see the daffodils
before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from
Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next
Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her
third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had
promised, and so I drove there. When I finally
walked into Carolyn's house and huggedand greeted
my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils,
Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog,
and there is nothing in the world except you and
these children that I want to see bad enough to
drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive
in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't
get me back on the road until it clears, and then
I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage
to pick up my car." "How far will we have to drive?"
"Just afew blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used
to this." After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where
are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"
"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled,
"by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly,
"please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise.
You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.
"After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel
road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church,
I saw a hand lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden."
We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I
followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner
of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the
most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold
and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes.
The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns
great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon
yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.
Each different colored variety was planted as a group so
that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own
unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just
one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the
property. That's her home."
Carolyn pointed to a well kept A frame house that
looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.
We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a
poster."Answers to the Questions I Know You Are
Asking" was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.
The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman.
Two hands, two feet, and very little brain."
The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
There it was, The Daffodil Principle.
For me, that moment was a life changing experience.
I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who,
more than forty years before, had begun one bulb at a
time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an
obscuremountain top.
Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year,
had changed the world. This unknown woman had
forever changed the world in which she lived.
She had created something of ineffable (indescribable)
magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.The principle her
daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles
of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires
one step at a time often just one baby step at a time-and
learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation
of time.
When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments
of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent
things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.
"What might I have accomplished if I had thought
of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago
and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time'
through all those years.
Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day
in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.
It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.
The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead
of acause for regret is to only ask,
"How can I put this to use today?"
Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards --- author
NOTE: This is a real garden by Mrs. Gene Bauer
of Running Spring, CA
http://doityourself.com/flowers/paintingwithflowers.htm
Anyone can visit during peak bloom time, early March
to early April. The garden is located below Running Springs,
California, in the San Bernardino Mountains.
From the city of Highland (about 60 miles east of
downtown Los Angeles), take Highway 330 toward
Running Springs.
Drive 14 miles into the mountains to the intersection of
Live Oak Dr. and Fredalba. Turn right on Fredalba and
proceed one mile. Park in the church parking lot.
From there, signs will direct you.
She has been through 2 fires in the last 4 years and has
lost many of the daffodils. Perhaps, only if you want to,
you can send her $5 in the mail so she can buy a few
new bulbs.
Mrs. Gene Bauer's Daffodil Garden
c/o St. Ann's Catholic Church
30480 Fredalba Rd.
Running Springs CA 92382
by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards
Several times my daughter had telephoned to
say,"Mother, you must come see the daffodils
before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from
Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next
Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her
third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had
promised, and so I drove there. When I finally
walked into Carolyn's house and huggedand greeted
my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils,
Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog,
and there is nothing in the world except you and
these children that I want to see bad enough to
drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive
in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't
get me back on the road until it clears, and then
I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage
to pick up my car." "How far will we have to drive?"
"Just afew blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used
to this." After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where
are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"
"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled,
"by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly,
"please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise.
You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.
"After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel
road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church,
I saw a hand lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden."
We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I
followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner
of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the
most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold
and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes.
The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns
great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon
yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.
Each different colored variety was planted as a group so
that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own
unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just
one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the
property. That's her home."
Carolyn pointed to a well kept A frame house that
looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.
We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a
poster."Answers to the Questions I Know You Are
Asking" was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.
The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman.
Two hands, two feet, and very little brain."
The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
There it was, The Daffodil Principle.
For me, that moment was a life changing experience.
I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who,
more than forty years before, had begun one bulb at a
time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an
obscuremountain top.
Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year,
had changed the world. This unknown woman had
forever changed the world in which she lived.
She had created something of ineffable (indescribable)
magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.The principle her
daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles
of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires
one step at a time often just one baby step at a time-and
learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation
of time.
When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments
of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent
things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.
"What might I have accomplished if I had thought
of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago
and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time'
through all those years.
Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day
in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.
It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.
The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead
of acause for regret is to only ask,
"How can I put this to use today?"
Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards --- author
NOTE: This is a real garden by Mrs. Gene Bauer
of Running Spring, CA
http://doityourself.com/flowers/paintingwithflowers.htm
Anyone can visit during peak bloom time, early March
to early April. The garden is located below Running Springs,
California, in the San Bernardino Mountains.
From the city of Highland (about 60 miles east of
downtown Los Angeles), take Highway 330 toward
Running Springs.
Drive 14 miles into the mountains to the intersection of
Live Oak Dr. and Fredalba. Turn right on Fredalba and
proceed one mile. Park in the church parking lot.
From there, signs will direct you.
She has been through 2 fires in the last 4 years and has
lost many of the daffodils. Perhaps, only if you want to,
you can send her $5 in the mail so she can buy a few
new bulbs.
Mrs. Gene Bauer's Daffodil Garden
c/o St. Ann's Catholic Church
30480 Fredalba Rd.
Running Springs CA 92382
posted by Mr. Positive! at 9:43 AM
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