My Mother's Garden

Indian Paint Brush

How difficult must it be to leave your home and your garden that you cultivated for 40 years?  When it became time for my mother to sell her home that she lived in for 40 years and relocate to a condominium closer to me, we found a way to take her favorite plants from her garden with her.  Before the move, we planted cuttings in pots and relocated them to my yard.  Her hostas, lilac bush, helibores, and Indian paint brush that she cultivated for so many years, were now given a new home in my backyard.

Hosta

Moving the plants wasn't something that was high on my priority list when we were planning all of the moving details; it actually seemed like just another thing to do, but it was very high on the moving priority list for my mother.  In the fall, after getting settled in the condo we planted the cuttings in various locations in my backyard.

Lilac bush, started as a small cutting

I didn't realize the significance until now of what it means to have the plants from my mother's home planted in my yard at my home.  These are the plants that I grew up with, and seeing them in my yard reminds me how much my mother enjoyed gardening when I was a child.  When I walk around my yard and take care of my mother's plants, it gives me a remembrance of the past and a fond memory of my mother's love of gardening that I wouldn't otherwise have.

Blooming hostas

I've spent many hours scrapbooking family photos, creating a family cookbook and tracing family history, but I never thought the plants in the garden would become an important part of preserving family memories for me.

Helibores

So, now I think back to the beautiful blue hydrangea that thrived in my mother's garden and was there when we moved into the house 40 years ago.  It was always my favorite and such an important part of my mother's garden.  Why didn't I think to take a cutting of the hydrangea?  I've thought many times, maybe I could go back and ask the new owners if I could take a cutting off the hydrangea but, honestly, I don't feel comfortable doing that.  As my daughter has mentioned many times that hydrangea's are her favorite flower, I bought a beautiful blue hydrangea and planted it in my yard to replace the hydrangea that was left behind.  Now my mother's garden is complete!

Blue Hydrangea, newest addition to the garden

All the plants we moved are thriving and enjoy their new home, and I'm enjoying taking care of my mother's garden and creating gardening memories for my own daughter.