Among the old woman's legacy are two plants that will survive for at least a few more years. An Arizona ash tree has grown tremendously under her care. It is three to four times bigger than any of the rest on property.
Her prize rose bush. It grew to about ten feet in height. She continuously pruned and fed it; it filled out and it produced scads of blossoms the year 'round. My helper took a couple dozen cuttings off of it. I had to make it shorter, and then move it to the end of the building. It still has green leaves and has weathered the move pretty well, so far. I intend to buy rose food and try my hand at pruning it the same way she did. We are discussing taking her occasional bouquets in the future.
Edgar--
I like the idea that your decaying gardener will have a green memorial of her own creation.
@edgarblythe,
So how did this little dilemma end?
@33export,
The lady was moved to a retirement home, where she now battles the people over there the same way.
Her apartment was restored and in fact has become our model.
Addendum:
After the terrorist gardener moved out, I was left with a huge mound of dirt and whatever else she piled around a certain tree. Under her care, the tree had gotten twice the size of like ones about the property. It was my intent to move all the dirt away, but I missed several opportunities. A spiderwort, a plant some call the wandering jew, grew up to cover the mound, and people began calling it 'pretty.' Then I semi-retired and the problem was forgotten.
Last year, we experienced the severest drought I had ever been in. None of us realized, until too late how the pile of dirt deprived the tree of water. One day I came around the building and was shocked to see it turning brown during the late weeks of summer. I watered it daily for a week. But, my job pulled me away from a long commitment and my lead man must have forgotten it. To make the story shorter, the tree died.
Today, I watched a man grind the stump and then drop a new tree into the hole. After he left, I got a closer view and felt discouraged to see this one so high up there. I would have planted it about two feet lower than that. Well, we shall see how this turns out.
