“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it, if it were not the earth where the same flowers come up again every spring that we used to gather with our tiny fingers as we sat lisping to ourselves on the grass, the same hips and haws on the autumn hedgerows, the same redbreasts that we used to call ‘God’s birds’ because they did no harm to the precious crops. What novelty is worth that sweet monotony where everything is known and loved because it is known?”
George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss
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This month, Garden volunteers planted seven more Prunus mume trees in the Welcome Garden – adding to the four planted in June 2012. These winter-blooming mei hua now line the entry path of the Seattle Chinese Garden.
The brief break in wet weather gave volunteers small respite from the usual weeding. Instead, they spent the day in back-breaking lifting and shoveling. The soil, wet from winter rains, could not have been heavier despite the help of hefty digging from the backhoe. The work was arduous, yet these invaluable volunteers gladly stretched their muscles and vigorously worked the earth - illustrating through their hard efforts the true meaning of building a community gathering place.
The hardy Prunus mume were donated by Stella Chien in celebration of the life of her husband Chih-hsing John Chien (June 23, 1930 – January 8, 2012). John and his wife Stella have been very active in community affairs to support Chinese immigrants and preserve Chinese culture. They became members of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society in the 80's and worked tirelessly to start the traditional Szechwan style garden in Seattle to connect the people of Seattle with the Chinese culture of which John was so proud.
The blossoms of these special trees appear in late winter, before the leaves sprout, and have a sweet lingering scent. Over time, the tree has come to symbolize the culture, spirit, and character of the Chinese people (The Sweetness of Mei Hua). Visitors to the Garden will now find two powerful scents to lure them into its beauty: Mei hua (Prunus mume) as you enter, and Wintersweet (Chimonanthus) as you explore Song Mei Ting in the back of Knowing the Spring Courtyard.
George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss
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| Volunteers from left: Karyn Kanning, Stella Chien, Logan Bingle, Barb DeLauter, Haruka Saitoh, and Janice Hendrikson |
The brief break in wet weather gave volunteers small respite from the usual weeding. Instead, they spent the day in back-breaking lifting and shoveling. The soil, wet from winter rains, could not have been heavier despite the help of hefty digging from the backhoe. The work was arduous, yet these invaluable volunteers gladly stretched their muscles and vigorously worked the earth - illustrating through their hard efforts the true meaning of building a community gathering place.
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| Volunteers Rick Vadnais (maneuvering the backhoe) with Garden president Jon Geiger (orange shirt) and Kurt Demontigny supervising (all three work for Boeing). |
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| Stella Chien wielding the pickaxe with Barb DeLauter ready to shovel the loosened soil |
The hardy Prunus mume were donated by Stella Chien in celebration of the life of her husband Chih-hsing John Chien (June 23, 1930 – January 8, 2012). John and his wife Stella have been very active in community affairs to support Chinese immigrants and preserve Chinese culture. They became members of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society in the 80's and worked tirelessly to start the traditional Szechwan style garden in Seattle to connect the people of Seattle with the Chinese culture of which John was so proud.
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| Rodney (Grace Chien's husband) holds the tree while volunteers help line it up |
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| Volunteers Logan Bingle and Bill Beineke waiting for the next Prunus mume to be unloaded from the truck |
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| Stella Chien with daughters Ginger (left) and Grace (right) in front of Knowing the Spring Courtyard |