It was one of those perfect Texas Panhandle days.
Soft breeze and sunshine. My longtime friend in the Horticulture industry and I stood at the back of the garden. Music filled the air as the band played. People mingled as they enjoyed food and beverages.
It was late summer of 2015. The event was the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for the grand opening of The Resplendent Garden. My friend Kelly and I stood there in silence, just taking it all in. He then turned to me and asked, “ How long have you been planning on building this garden?”
I was perplexed by his question.
He knew my story of the garden, how I was finally able to begin the project, then had to put it on hold due to an illness. And for several years after I was healed, didn’t know if it would ever be completed. Still, I replied, “Well in 2010….He abruptly cut me off and looked at me intently. “No… How long have you been dreaming of building this garden?” And then my heart just melted, I knew what he meant….He knew. I replied, “Ever since we bought this place.” He turned back to gaze at the garden with a big smile on his face replying, “That’s exactly what I thought!”
The “Ever since we bought this place” was May of 1996. My husband Ron and I started working together in 1993. Before we started that adventure, for 18 years we each had our own separate careers in the Horticulture/Landscape industry. The garden is nestled inside this 10 acre facility also used to operate the landscape and nursery division of Nistler’s Landscape.
I could always envision a colorful garden shaded by the mature trees.
With each passing year of designing and constructing gardens for clients, my desire to bring this garden to life grew stronger. My vision was to create a space where even in the midst of a stressful event, people could truly relax and experience peace and tranquility.
As with all dreams that are pursued, there are hardships and obstacles. We worked on building this garden after work till dark thirty and on weekends. It was a long and arduous process. But when you have a passion to see a dream come to life, all those long hours invested reap a harvest of delight. The story of the garden is long and full of adventure. There will be a book telling the stories of how this garden was cultivated!
It’s difficult to really describe this garden, so take a look at the gallery and let me speak to you through my flowers. They evoke a language that can’t be heard, only experienced.
