Sunny Country Garden

My childhood was associated with the lush green garden behind my grandmother's house, a peaceful space of the countryside, where I grew up with the chirping of birds and the sweet scent of flowers and fruits on sunny summer days.

Illustration photo.

After the first summer showers, the sun shines brightly with amber waves, the whole garden seems to be wearing a new, brilliant coat, full of life. On clear summer mornings, the sunlight shines throughout the garden, making the dew drops still on the leaves sparkle like thousands of small gems. The sunlight penetrates through the green treetops, creating dancing spots of light on the ground. The sunlight sparkles on the bright yellow squash blossoms. The sunlight flickers on the thin wings of butterflies and dragonflies fluttering around the newly bloomed trumpet lilies. Under the hot, blazing sun, the trees in the garden compete to stretch their branches, providing cool shade. Next to the pond is a large mango tree with lush branches and leaves, each summer it is laden with clusters of young, shiny green fruit. I remember the afternoons when I skipped my nap, climbed up with my neighbor friends to pick some crispy green mangoes, sliced ​​them, mixed them with salt and chili, then shared them and laughed loudly in a corner of the garden. Nearby is a myrtle tree, its trunk covered with patches of green moss, and every summer it blooms with new buds and pretty ivory-white flowers. Every time a gentle breeze blows through the tree canopy, it carries the sweet fragrance of young myrtle leaves. My grandmother often picks myrtle buds, dries them, roasts them until golden brown, and stores them carefully in a ceramic jar, waiting until winter to bring them out and cook them with a few slices of fresh ginger to warm her stomach. That rustic drink has been with my family through many cold winters, so familiar that every time I smell the scent of myrtle water wafting in the wind, I feel like my whole childhood is coming back.

The garden has become a pure memory that I always cherish and preserve. There, my friends and I can freely run barefoot on the cool, moist ground covered with fallen leaves, engaging in all kinds of mischievous games such as climbing trees, catching dragonflies, catching cicadas, digging for crickets. Sometimes, we invite each other to hang hammocks at the fork of guava trees, swinging in the wind, watching the rustling leaves, and listening to the joyful sounds of life. The buzzing of bees searching for honey, the chirping of birds, and the chirping of cicadas are like a summer symphony that never stops. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves is like the whisper of my grandmother telling stories of the past. The garden is also where my grandmother taught me my first lessons about love for nature, appreciating simple things, and the joy of work.

My childhood passed peacefully in the small garden, a place associated with many sweet memories. Whenever I was tired or had too much pressure from work, I would return to my grandparents' house, to the sunny countryside garden. To peacefully immerse myself in the scent of flowers and fruits of the garden filled with light and love.

Lam Hong

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202504/vuon-que-day-nang-b0178f0/