Re-Post Mr. Melvin Miller's Marvelous Gardenscape

**This entry was originally posted last summer. I was thinking today that I need to get some annuals planted and remembered how much I enjoyed seeing Mr Miller's gardens.  

 Whizzing down busy Hwy 50 near Bristol, Wisconsin, my attention was diverted by a line of cars parked along the shoulder. Every good treasure hunter knows that a lot of cars can be an indicator of a sale, and so I slowed down to check it out. Sure enough, at the end of the driveway was a "rummage sale" sign.

The Riverport Chorus of the Sweet Adelines were holding a fund-raising rummage at the home of one of their members. As I walked up the driveway I was captivated by the landscape. Outbuildings sported white paint and were trimmed in the cheeriest red. Lush foilage surrounded the buildings and red pots were hung from the white siding. Everywhere I turned was another beautiful feature.

After finding a few items to purchase, I asked if I could take some snapshots. One of the Sweet Adelines, directed me to the hostess of the sale, Mrs. Miller. She readily gave permission and pointed out her husband. I spent a few pleasant minutes chatting with him. Mr. Miller is the type of person you think of when you hear the word "Grandpa". Friendly, unpretentious and happy to answer questions, he told me that he's spent the past eight years transforming the property into what it is today. He spends each morning watering and maintaining his plants, strictly for the enjoyment of himself and his family.

There are gardeners everywhere who toil as Mr. Miller does, not to impress others, but simply because they enjoy the process as well as the results. As I left the sale that day, I knew that the real treasure I'd found wasn't what I had purchased, but the opportunity to meet Mr. Miller and enjoy his handiwork.