Is a green thumb inherited?

I hope so. My grandfather could make anything grow. I used to (and maybe I still do) think he was a medicine man – that was the only way we could explain how he did what he did.

Legend has it he once stuck a stick in the ground – the neighbors laughed and the family snickered, but all of my cousins and I know that we played in that perfect tree for years. It was just the right height for grandchildren to climb and swing from. In his backyard in the city, he built a grape arbor that we’d play under for hours, he had berry bushes we snacked on and a garden full of horseradish (to this day, I can barely tolerate what is sold in the stores).

Now that I have my own yard, I want to create that oasis he made for us. We have the weeping willow tree with a hammock swing, but I long for the grape arbor and a huge garden. Every time I add something to the garden or plant a sad little tree, I know he’s there helping me along. Miss you, pop!