The Memory Gardener Quotes

“Hydrangea: A flowering shrub with large spherical clusters of blossoms whose soft, honey-vanilla scent evokes feelings of both abundance and maternal love”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Gardenia: A flowering shrub in the madder family with large white blossoms whose plush, peachy scent offers comfort to those who are grieving”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Daffodil: A flowering plant in the amaryllis family with a trumpet-like bloom whose rich, honeyed scent carries a message of new beginnings”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“But I know that I’ve always had a connection to plants, an ability to care for them in a way that makes them thrive quickly, vibrantly, fragrantly. And among the flowers that I grow… I’m able to sense when there is a fragrance that will return a person to a forgotten moment in time, a long-buried memory. Scents have always been heightened for me… the scents of the flowers that I grow most of all.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Chamomile: A flowering herb with small, daisy-like blooms whose gentle, apple-and-hay scent encourages patience”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Grey musk sage: A flowering herb in the mint family with fragrant foliage and violet flowers whose calming scent aids connection to the spiritual world”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Rock rose: A hearty, flowering shrub profusely laden with papery blossoms whose warm, amber scent strengthens resilience”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“California poppy: A native California wildflower with golden, star-shaped blooms whose soft, citrusy scent inspires hope and healing”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Viburnum: A flowering shrub or tree in the moschatel family with showy clusters of white or pink-tinged blooms whose spicy, almondy, vanilla scent stirs transformation”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“California loosestrife: A flowering herb native to California with long spikes of purple flowers whose soapy, herbal aroma inspires strength in the face of adversity”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Honeysuckle: A hardy flowering vine or shrub with sprays of tubular blossoms whose strong, honeyed scent offers protection from those who intend harm”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“A lush clematis vine, its sweet vanilla scent calming and comforting, climbs over tented bamboo poles to form her reading fort. White jasmine flowers along the fence, as bright as stars in a night sky. A flower bed brims with chocolate cosmos, lemon balm, and spearmint, lending the air the aroma of a candy shop, with leaves ready to be plucked for cooking and teas an imaginative play. Throughout the garden: lily of the valley, its fresh, hopeful scent inspiring a return to happiness, its blooms as light and pretty as fairy bells. Fuzzy lamb's ear plants burst with the purple flowers that hummingbirds love. Frothy drifts of yarrow fill the air with their healing fragrance, their flat sprays of blossoms the perfect resting spot for butterflies.
On the yard's upper terrace, a white gravel path glows in the moonlight, cutting through feathery stalks of fennel and happy purple globes of blooming chives that are both edible and playful. A wooden swing hangs from the oak tree, rainbows of ribbons fluttering from its knots. California poppies glow golden even in the shadows, their citrus scent carrying a message of hope.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Jasmine: A flowering shrub or vine in the olive family with milk-white, star-shaped blossoms whose sensual, spicy, peach-and-vanilla scent inspires feelings of love”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Persian buttercup: A flowering plant with downy stems and colorful, ruffled blossoms whose soft citrus scent recalls youthful joy and friendship”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Lunaria: A flowering herb in the mustard family with airy, delicate violet blossoms whose sweet scent inspires sincerity”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Even in its current, neglected state, I can see that the garden is meant to be rambling and informal--- a cottage garden. Ribbons of pea-gravel pathways curl around funny little hills of mounded land. The mounds are mostly overtaken by massive tufts of crabgrass, but here and there, sprays of tulips and daffodils push up from long-buried bulbs and speckle the small hills with color. As Adam and I walk around, I breathe in the bouquet of flowers that I will find below the weeds--- dahlias, cosmos, daisies, peonies. The old brick walls are nearly entirely hidden within thick, tangled coats of honeysuckle and rock rose.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“I breathe in, searching, and the scent responds immediately: the heady, almondy aroma of pink damask roses lifts into the air and races toward me. The fragrance, warm and golden, encircles us. Roses. My favorite scent.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Damask rose: A fragrant shrub with thorned stems and ruffled pink blossoms whose powerful, velvety scent stirs intense passion”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Lily of the valley: A woodland flowering plant with an arching stem and bell-shaped white flowers whose bright, lemony scent heralds a return to happiness”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“It’s not so easy to let go, when what you really want is for the past to remain in the present, to remain secure within your heart.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Climbing rose: A vigorous, flowering plant with an abundance of large blossoms whose heady, romantic scent stirs new love”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Seaside daisy: A flowering plant native to the West Coast in the aster family with cushion, lavender-pink blossoms whose herbaceous, grassy scent inspires awakening”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“California wild lilac: A flowering native California plant in the buckthorn family whose cones of delicate blossoms emit an intense, boiling-honey scent that recalls first love”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“I pulled together vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and brown butter that smelled of caramel and hazelnuts. It was a warm, dark mixture of flavors--- rich and spicy, comforting and bold. Remarkable. I knew even then, in that very night in that kitchen, that it would be my triumph. My chai spice cake.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Maybe that's because in gardens, storms always pass. The season eventually changes and flowers grow again.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Rhododendron: A flowering shrub in the heath family with large sprays of vibrant, bell-shaped blossoms whose sweet and spicy fragrance denotes both protection and warning”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Lavender: A flowering herb in the mint family with needlelike leaves and wooly purple blossoms whose soft, woodsy scent bridges the earthly and the eternal, soothing anxiety”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“That’s the thing about dogs—they’re too loyal or dependent or just plain simple in the very best way to care about all of the awful things you’ve done in your life.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“Tuberose: A flowering plant in the asparagus family with a tall stem of white blossoms whose heady, sensual scent evokes dangerous love”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener

“There’s color here, too—- flowers like jewels sewn onto green silk. Rhododendron shrubs laden with magenta clusters of ruffled blossoms. Fronds of emerald ferns, luminous even in deep shadow. Weeds, tangled and exuberant, are flourishing most of all, but among them I sense the vibrant blossoms of periwinkle, primroses, and lunaria, small buds of white anemone nodding atop tall, thin stems, speckled hellebores and toad lilies pressing toward the light.
And the viburnum! They’re thriving— ten feet tall and just as wide. Along the walls, and now and then along the edges of the path, their creamy-white, pink-tinged blossoms float atop dark green leaves, and their spicy vanilla fragrance threads through every shadow.”
― Meg Donohue, The Memory Gardener