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OUR SPRING TIME or AUTUMN DAYS?

© Gay Klok

MY GARDENING MATE, Kees

Over the many gardening years that Kees and I have shared together, we have managed to create an excellent working partnership in the garden. Nearly as good and as interesting as the partnership of parenting our four children! Many are the times visitors and friends have addressed me alone and said "Gay, I don't know how you manage the two gardens" and I have gently rebuked them, pointing out that the gardens only exist because of us both. There is no way that Kees could have made the gardens without me, nor is there any chance that I could have created our "Eden" without Kees.

On one occasion the federal body of the Historical Garden Association visited both gardens. Sipping champagne in the Town garden at the end of the day, the President, officially thanked me for the wonderful day tour of both the properties. I replied, "I have been delighted to have you all in the gardens. I have enjoyed the company so much, the talk and also the provided lunch. But, I have one big criticism," pause and shocked faces all around, "You have all been thanking me, and me alone, all day. Now, I may be the most talkative BUT there are two gardeners here, Kees and myself"

Relieved laughter and then the President said, " This is very remiss of us all. We do thank Kees, wholeheartedly. But there is one thing he can't do as well as you", long slightly shocked silence, "He can't wear that gardening hat, which is the most beautiful one I have ever seen!""

It was Kees talking about retiring from his Structural Engineering work that first prompted me to act upon my dream of creating a water garden before our final and eternal retirement. Kees, though ten years older than myself, was still full of physical energy. Our four children had grown up and were making their own gardens and apart from his work and the family, Kees had very few outside interests. He played Royal tennis once a week and loved attending auctions every Saturday and that was about it. The house was getting so full of antique furniture, bric-a-brac and cowboy books, I began to fear that there would be no room left for me. To write honestly, I was really worried that when he was home all day, he would drive me crazy and we would both quietly slip into early senility

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