I was given a book this Christmas that is chock full of stories from the Great Depression. One of the stories that stuck out for me as I was reading was one woman's recollections of her grandmother's flowers and saving flower seeds. If you have been around this blog during planting season you know I have a bit of an obsession with saving my garden seeds, but the flower seeds were something that was more my grandmother's forte. I can remember that ever since I began gardening, grandma would share little containers full of marigold seeds, she told me they were good for planting near garden plants, and I did. However, I was not very good at diligently keeping those seeds, grandma just supplied them year to year.
When I read this article from a woman who had these fond memories I began thinking. My grandmother didn't just save marigold seeds, she has saved whole plants. She has a fern that belonged to my great grandmother who has been gone to Heaven for more than 20 years now. That plant is still alive and flourishing. She had a Christmas cactus for years as well that was over 80 years going from starts to plants and back again.
Although the marigolds were never my favorite (I just don't care for the smell, but I do plant them in the garden because garden pests don't seem to like them either). One of the favorites that grandma has shared is the Touch Me Not flower.
When I read this article from a woman who had these fond memories I began thinking. My grandmother didn't just save marigold seeds, she has saved whole plants. She has a fern that belonged to my great grandmother who has been gone to Heaven for more than 20 years now. That plant is still alive and flourishing. She had a Christmas cactus for years as well that was over 80 years going from starts to plants and back again.
Although the marigolds were never my favorite (I just don't care for the smell, but I do plant them in the garden because garden pests don't seem to like them either). One of the favorites that grandma has shared is the Touch Me Not flower.
 |  photo courtesy: growforit.org |
Photo courtesy of Almost Eden Plants
The really need thing about these flowers is that when they go to seed and form that fuzzy pod you see above, if you touch the pod, it literally explodes with seeds that you can catch. My kids love the seed collecting on this one! I love the beautiful flowers that seem to be willing to set root and grow just about anywhere.
As I think and ponder on this one though, this is a link to my grandmother and will always be a reminder of her as I collect and save these seeds from year to year. I am reminded of her doing just the same and it is pretty neat to know just how far back some of these traditions go. I hope they carry on with my own children too.
As I think and ponder on this one though, this is a link to my grandmother and will always be a reminder of her as I collect and save these seeds from year to year. I am reminded of her doing just the same and it is pretty neat to know just how far back some of these traditions go. I hope they carry on with my own children too.
Here is a picture of my flower seed stash for this year, I even have grandma's handwriting on the marigold seed lid. The "money" plant in the foreground also carries with it special memories. (I believe it is so named because the little papery disks resemble coins) My grandmother always had a dried arrangement of money seed stems on her front livingroom table when I was growing up. I was so happy to find her some starter seeds for the money plant a few years ago as she no longer had this plant growing.
Do you have any special memories of plants or flowers that have gone through generations in your family? Please share in the comments below!
