Final Farewell

March 7 was a day filled with melancholy because escrow closed on my late in-laws' home, a place filled with happy memories of holiday gatherings, gaiety and love. Both Moto and Florence treated me like their own daughter, shared their stories of struggles - the difficult and the triumphant - and taught me by example the importance of family. And their love of the natural world and joy of gardening were important threads that bound the fabric of our family together into a running tapestry that continues today in the lives of our children and grandchildren. Today, I share some of the plants in Moto and Florence's garden that they took so much pleasure in planting, nourishing and maintaining and that the remaining Asakawa clan will forever cherish in their hearts: the exquisite wisteria cascading over their entry, the Japanese black pine serving as a majestic focal point in their atrium, the giant grafted tomato plants flourishing even now and the gorgeous saucer magnolia appropriately ending its bloom season as a final farewell.