Sharing These 7 plants From an Elder’s Garden = Closeness

My garden is filled with plants and flowers that have come from elder loved ones. Many are transplants from my mother’s garden. I love to watch these plants grow and remember how they came to me. I show my mother when she visits and she loves the idea that MY plants came from HER just as I, too, did. 

My butterfly bush is right outside my living room window. Daddy brought it over one day and together we planted it. 

Each year it blesses me with lovely blooms that attract the hummers. The biggest blessing it brings is the memory of my time spent with my dad and how my mother taught me to love growing things. 

There are so many plants that I have bought because they remind me of loved ones. My granddaddy loved crepe myrtles, so my landscape also boasts a number of these glorious bloomers. My granddaddy was a very big man, and was adored by my granny. She planted crepe myrtles near the front porch of the old homestead. I know she did it for her man. 

Decades have passed and the old homestead is gone. My sister took her children there when they were still small. The 160 acres looked quite different from what I remembered. The windmill was lying on its’ side and the old barn had fell into ruins. The farmhouse had long been gone – moved to another property, but the crepe myrtles were still there. They remain a living testimony to my grandparents’ love. 

My Auntie Glory’s garden was a magical place. When I got to visit her as a child, I’d get up really early to go wandering through her back yard. Her Southern California home dirt seemed to grow almost anything. There were giant banana trees and huge birds of paradise. But what I loved the most was her garden beds along the sides of her home. 

My uncle had built them in a special way. He had gathered shells, rocks and colored glass from his trips to the beach. The walkway and garden edging were embedded with his treasured finds. 

In the garden beds grew the most beautiful fuchsias. There pink and purple blooms looked like colorful Chinese lanterns to me. So, I grow fuchsias to remind me of my trips to their home, where they made me feel so loved and their garden was a magical place. 

If you’re lucky enough to still have older loved ones who garden, I hope you will drop a few hints about special plants they have that you could have a start from. There are so many plants that are easily propagated, or throw off seedlings that could give you a start. Here are few that I like to share – 

1. Geraniums – Just break off a good stem, or two, or three – stick them in water and soon you’ll have your own to grow.
2. Hens and Chicks – These succulents always multiply and are a great plant to share. Just dig up a few of the “chicks” and stick them in your own home dirt.
3. Morning glories produce a ton of seeds that can be shared. Visit your loved ones’ garden in the fall and see if they have some morning glories that have gone to seed.
4. Hollyhocks are prolific seed producers. The best times to find their seed is in late summer to early fall.
5. Roses – You can take cuttings in winter from your loved ones’ most beautiful plants. You might need a little rooting hormone. It can be found at any garden center. The directions for taking cuttings are right on the package.
6. Bulbs – Any plants that come from bulbs usually multiple quickly. If you admire some of your loved ones irises, daffodils, or cannas, ask for a start. Offer to thin them out, which is a job they might need help with anyway.
7. Herbs – These grow like weeds and it’s usually no trouble at all to get a good sized plant from an established patch. Mint, oregano, sage, and basil are just some of the plants your loved one might have and be willing (and happy) to share.

 What plants do you grow that remind you time spent in a garden with a loved one? 

Make sure you pass on these beloved plants and share the stories you have of spending time with a loved one in a garden. 

You will inspire another generation to have a blessed connection with your loved ones and the nourishing dirt!

++++++++++++++++++++

 San Clemente Villas provides full-service, luxury assisted living to those over the age of 65. San Clemente Villas by the Sea is at 660 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, CA 92673. Phone:  (949) 289-1534 (949) 289-1534 FREE  | Fax: (949) 234-0081. Contact:  Aileen Brazeau, Co-Owner of San Clemente Villas by the Sea. | abrazeau@cox.net.