Most people would agree that music is tied to memories. When you hear certain songs, you remember people and events in your life. And I am no different.
However, this post is not about music. It is about flowers. For me, there are flower that remind me of places. Roses and Dogwood trees remind me of my childhood home and still hold a fondness in my heart. Inside, we always had African Violets on the windowsill, my father’s favorite.
For my paternal grandparent’s home, Honeysuckle comes to mind. The sight and smell of Honeysuckle still evokes memories of the summers we spent at their home. Also of note, while not a flower, Willow trees have the same effect.
The flower that reminds me of my maternal grandmother’s home is the Iris. She had flowerbeds all around the front of her house loaded with hundreds of Irises.
When my grandmother passed away several years ago, my brother, sisters and I went to her home and dug up some of her Irises to remember her by. My brother has since posted a picture of her Irises now in his yard and I am sure my sisters have them in their own yards.
I planted my batch on the corner of my house and enjoyed them for a number of years. But the past two years the pointy leaves, growing in a way that resembles a hand-held fan, grew a foot or so but never bloomed. I thought I had managed to kill them off, never to enjoy again. I contemplated researching the best way to revive and care for them, but never got around to it. I was doomed to lose them forever.
Then, a few days ago, a remarkable thing happened. I was mowing my yard and rounded the corner of the house and there, to my surprise were my grandmother’s Irises, large beautiful blooms that could not be missed. Below I have posted a picture I took of the blooms. You may notice, in the background the Dogwood in full bloom as well. Now, I only need to plant some honeysuckle to complete the memories of my favorite childhood places.
5 Comments
That is funny, mine did the same thing. They didn’t bloom for a couple years and this year they were all the sudden just there. It made me smile. I had forgotten about the African Violets.
Beautifully written, I have a love for all of the same flowers and my favorite trees are the willow tree and dogwood.
I’m so glad to know you have some of my mom’s irises in your yard. Phyllis and Lori have a lot of them too. She would be so happy to know her family is remembering her in this way. She loved her flowers so.
Sweet story, but reminded me of red geraniums and striped petunias.
How sweet. I am the same when it comes to lilacs. There was practically a wall of lilac bushes between her and her neighbors. The air was so heavy with their perfume that to this day I have to snap off a bloom when I see one.