Edison Marshall His Garden & Home

Saw my first good garden age 7 in Augusta, GA.  Home of the author Edison Marshall.  This, below, hooked me.  Views from windows & doors into a garden.  Pic via.

A pair of tigers were at either side of the walk-in fireplace in the formal dining room where luncheon was served.  Heads stuffed & setting on tall wood stools with the entire body skin draping down.   (I remember each paw being as large as my head.)

A pair of Galapagos turtles, still alive, had their own garden room.

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It's been said we try to recreate the interiors that first impressed us as a child.  Of course I've lived that cliche AND included the garden.

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Ironically, now this moment, getting a link for you of Edison Marshall, I've seen my first pic of Edison Marshall, and I think the 2nd time I've seen this tiger, below.

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Marshall had recently died.  It was a somber luncheon but joyful too.  We were meeting my grandmother's friend, Helena Mendocino, a doctor & recent Cuban boatlift participant, who had just married Edison Marshall Jr.

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Helena put her beloved Edison on tea.  He was an alcoholic that stopped drinking for the love of his life.  He told  the charming story of going to a grocery store, for the first time in his life, the previous month.  He loved the conveyor belt. 

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The Marshall house had a ghost.  We were dutifully shown the room it occupied.

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Staff answered the door, served luncheon & totally enchanted me.

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Edison Marshall Jr. carried a large Coleman thermos full of tea with him the rest of his days.

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When Mrs. Marshall senior passed she left her collection of gloves to my grandmother, their hands small.  When grandma died I got the gloves, they are in my closet now, my hands their size.

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Edison & Helena continued in my life till they passed.  Their friendship a great joy to my grandparents.

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More to the story but even in death I feel honor bound to my grandma to only tell you, at most, the above.

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Garden & Be Well,   XO Tara