We spent many rainy days floating our race-boats (popsicle sticks) down those gutters.   On occasion we would dam them up with varying degrees of ambition.  Our goal, of course, and now remember we were 7, was to connect both sides of the street and make a huge car stopping lake. My first garden “scent” memories were from this neighborhood.  There was a very nice family that lived down the street on the way to the pool.  While most homes had the lawn and fence routine.  They were gardeners extraordinaire!  Their entire yard, front to back was like a jungle.  While I don’t remember everything they had planted, I do remember two distinct things.  When I get a whiff of these two distinct things, I am whisked back to the early 70’s  in my old neighborhood in Fort Collins Co.

To this day, I love these two smells.  They evoke such potent feelings of nostalgia.  It’s crazily unavoidable.  If I smell these two things, I can’t help but think of Fort Collins.  It was in Fort Collins where I first learned how to swim.  It’s also where I learned how to ride a bike.  It’s my first memory of having a best friend. Santa delivered huge denim bags of wooden blocks one Christmas. Squares and rectangles.  A black dot on my set to differentiate from my brothers.  Hours upon hours were spent in the basement making opposing forts and then sliding blocks back and forth across the black and white checkered floor to see who’s would be destroyed first.  Now that was fun.There are many more memories and good times that are brought back by those two scents. While I don’t remember having a family garden in Colorado.  I am thankful for the incredible garden of a neighboring family.  I’m thankful for those scents that remind me I was once a kid.  I’ve planted Marigold seeds with my 7 year old daughter this year.  I’ve also had her help me turn the compost. Which is my other favorite childhood garden smell.  I don’t think it’s hers…  Yet.

Authored by:

Pete Skenandore
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