Alexander Residence: Iris and the guerilla gardeners Little Legacy 15

Thursday 20 October 2011

Iris and the guerilla gardeners Little Legacy 15

After last week I thought I would take a break from my mum's legacies to write about Iris's.

Iris is the daughter of a colleague and friend from my teaching days. My friend K and I haven't seen each other since we both moved jobs and I moved away from London. But, by the power of facebook, I got to hear when Iris was born, to see Iris grow, to giggle at pictures of her wearing funky shades and playing in her allotment, and sadly to see her fight cancer.

Iris died this time last year. K talks about her loss from time to time, and celebrates Iris's spirit on facebook. She's inspirational in that respect, and has encouraged me to express my own grief by celebrating the little things. Sometimes it's hard to know how to grieve, I think K has found a great way to remember Iris.

Last year K set up Plant an Iris in memory of children with cancer, and to raise awareness of the wonderful charities out there supporting families of children with cancer: The Rainbow Trust, Clic Sargent and GOSH. Each Autumn followers of Plant an Iris plant Iris bulbs.

I had Iris written on my hand this week to remind me to buy bulbs.

So now is the time to get planting, this morning I bought my bulbs. A friend also gave me this lovely Marks and Spencer indoor Iris set which needs planting. I am not sure yet if my approach will be guerilla gardening, my eyes are certainly open for a patch of land locally that needs brightening. Failing that they will be in our own garden, but either way I look forward to Iris's little legacy popping up in Spring.

Little legacy is a remembrance project , a positive and creative space, to celebrate small things handed down by inspirational people. Feel free to link up a little legacy you've been thinking about this week, or to leave one in the comments. Here's the code and here's more on Little Legacy

Labels: little legacy, plant an Iris

6 Comments:

At 20 October 2011 at 09:19 , Anonymous said...: What a beautiful way to remember someone special. I couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child and my heart goes out to your friend. I love irises and will be going on the plant a iris page that you have linked in order to get involved. Thankyou for such a lovely post (again) x
At 20 October 2011 at 12:19 , Midlife Singlemum said...: What a lovely legacy from such a painful experience.
At 21 October 2011 at 07:42 , gidders1 said...: Really a lovely idea, and such a poignant message, I will join in the plant an iris scheme now
At 21 October 2011 at 20:05 , Mummy Matters said...: Iris' always remind me of my Grandma as they were one of her favourite flowers. I love this idea such a beautiful way to mark the life of a special little girl, I can't imagine the pain her family must have gone through but keeping her memory alive in this way is so special.

Lovely post x
At 22 October 2011 at 10:45 , Kate said...: Lovely post and feel so much for your friend. How terrible to lose a daughter. Connections with your legacies continue as half way through your post I rememebered my late mum loved irises. So may well take up the planting challenge myself.
You really struck me when you said sometimes it is hard to know how to grieve. I feel that a lot. Not sure what to post this week so will wait till the muse takes me and then link up.
At 25 October 2011 at 20:32 , Honest Mum said...: Such a lovely post and so moving. How awful that your friend lost her daughter and what a beautiful way to keep her memory alive x

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Alexander Residence

Thursday 20 October 2011

Iris and the guerilla gardeners Little Legacy 15

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