The Garden Party

There was nothing Isabella loved more than spending time working in the garden with her grandmother. At five years old, she thought Grandma Pat had the most beautiful garden in the world. From early spring through late autumn there were always beautiful flowers, birds,and butterfjies in her garden. After the Memorial Day parade, Isabella and Grandma Pat planted seeds in little pots: zinnias, cosmos, beans,squash,and pumpkin seeds. Isabella came over every day and gently watered the tiny seeds in their little beds. She dreamed of the summer flower garden they would become. Yellow and orange butterflies fluttered by, as a bright red cardinalchirped from the nearby maple tree... Little seedls grew to seedlings. Then, one day in June, Isabella and Grandma Pat transplanted the zinnia and cosmos plants to the mailbox and sidewalk gardens in the front yard and the beans, squash,and pumpkin plants to the vegetable garden in the back yard. Isabella saw the blue-black laced winged dragonflies and the yellow and black bumble-bees visrt her gardens. A black, white,and red woodpecker could be heard drilling in a nearby white birch tree. Isabella pointed toward the woodpecker and asked,"Why does the woodpecker do that?" Grandma explained that he was looking for insects in the tree to eat... - - - One Sunday afternoon, Isabella and her mother visited Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma Pat and Isabella took a walk around the house to see how Isabella's flower and vegetable plants were growing. Isabella was surprised to see her zinnias had giant red,yellow, orange, and pink blossoms. The pink and purple cosmos were floating in the breeze on their tall, thin,fern-like stems. "Would you like to pick some flowers for a bouquet to give your mother?" Grandma asked. Isabella smiled and nodded... On the way to the back door, Isabella was surprised to f ind a fairy house in the rose garden. "Grandma Pat, look! A fairy house is here." Grandma Pat smiled,as Isabella sat on the grass and looked at the little fairy house. There were tiny chairs,a tiny table, and a tiny bird house. There were even two little fairies inside the house. Isabella gently held them, put them back,and said,"These are garden fairies, Grandma. Mommy read me a book about fairies. It said the garden fairies paint the flowers, butterflies, and bees. Isit true?" Grandma Pat smiled,nodded,and said, "Itmight be true. Anything is possible in your imagination." Then she took Isabella's hand and said, "Your mother is waiting. We better go inside now."... When Isabella saw her mother,she gave her the bouquet of flowers and the beans. "These grew on the bean plants, which grew from the seeds we planted this spring," she told her. "The flowers grew on the plants,which grew from the seeds we planted this spring, too." Then she told her about the garden fairy house and the two tiny fairies in the house. "It's just like the story about the garden fair ies you read to me, Mommy," Isabella said. "Grandma said it's really true if you use your imagination." Mommy smiled and then suggested, "Why don't we have a garden party with your friends. It will be like a tea party to celebrate and share your beautiful garden." "Oh, yes, Mommy. I would like to have a garden tea party and invite my friends to come over and see my beautiful flowers, vegetables, and the birds, butterflies, toad, and bees which live i n my garden. I'll tell them they will have to really use thei r imagination or they won't see the garden fairies. Grandma Pat and I saw them and know they are l iving among the roses."...