I won't even quote your very wonderful observations and stories. Just know
that I enjoyed them very much. I am very new here and am no expert gardener.
..

My grandma was always growing things in her house and in her garden. I think
that must be a part of the growth that she passed down to her grandkids. She
was rooting avocado pits while my parents never brought an avocado into our
home. Most of her plants were in cottage cheese cartons and other humble
containers. I had a cactus from her, but when I had to move over a 1,000 miles
away it didn't make it.

She had big stands of dill growing, and always the colorful flowers whose names
I can't give you. She had her little oasis in Detroit city.

I hope I have learnt from her. Maybe lesson 1 is to see each single seed as a
gift. I recall how she saved the parts of marigolds to plant in the next year.
Her people were of the earth, and she grew up in a house with a dirt floor.

Eventually, maybe I will get my own private garden in my postage-stamp yard.
After a couple of years here, vegetables didn't grow well due to increasing
shade from the trees. I do have some tarragon, oregano, mint and thyme growing
on the south side of the house. I've also planted some shade plants around the
roses; vinca, sweet woodruff, moneywort and others - and they are doing well.
As for the lawn, the drought has done its work.

I have two eight-year-old cats who seem to mark every plant I put in. These
are fixed cats, a male and female. I have lost some columbines and other
perennials due to their habits. I can't keep them indoors. Mostly, they sleep
inside, but they like to go out and catch bugs. The female, Tuner, likes to
just rest out in the yard, and I can't deny her that pleasure. They haven't
killed the rose bushes yet.