The Generational, Sentimental Plant
I have a love for plants. If I could take better care of them, I’d have a lot more.
I would guess that this love of growing things, is in my blood. My grandparents were peach and walnut farmers in CA. They sold their peaches to that company called “S&W.” My dad grew up farming, and got his degree in agriculture, owned his own alfalfa farm for awhile, and then started a landsacaping business. In my head, he is the expert at growing things, and caring for plants.
He built my grandmother a green house, where she grew some of the most beautiful plants and tropical flowers that I have ever seen. She loved to grow flowers, and would spend hours tending to her plants. After they passed away, my dad gave away the plants to various family members, and kept some for himself. One of which is this funky little plant.
This plant grew so long that he has it hanging at his house from the top of the patio, and the leaves are near touching the ground. He took cuttings from my grandma’s plant, brought them out to TN, and started another little plant, which is doing quite well. He is going to take more cuttings and teach me and my boys how to grow a plant from cuttings.
So as you can see, this is a special plant, and I would love to keep it going and going throughout the years. How cool would it be to one day give one to my grandchildren?
*Do you have something in your family, that you pass from generation to generation?
September 24th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Oh Kristin, I really enjoyed reading about this special plant and all the love and history contained therein. This was a truly delightful post. Your dad sounds like he’d be fun to hang around and soak up stories and lessons and beautiful things from. Peach and walnut farms and then alfalfa, landscaping, green houses and so on… so great. How thoughtful and generous for your dad to give some of your gma’s plants to different family members to keep on caring for after she “went on ahead.” Cultivating from cuttings can be tricky for lots of people. How neat that he has had such success with this special plant that was his mom’s. Even cooler that you are now making your own memories sharing this with your dad and then, as you said your boys forming memories of their own about you. I wonder what the name of this particular (funky little) plant is?
We have passed down things like this in my family, too. And I have to agree – it is very special. Plants, family bibles, instruments, jewelry, and dishes. I love getting things like this out and recounting funny or sweet stories and memories about the person to my children. It helps keep their legacy alive and is an important part in the living out of our lives (carrying our history forward with us). A wonderful blessing.
Melody
September 24th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
It’s certainly a good thing I’m not a member of your family. I kill plants. I don’t mean to, it just happens…
Fortunately, in my family we pass down words. I have an amazing memory book that my grandma wrote. It’s all about her childhood and family. In it she shares her favorite verses, memories of my grandfather and stories about my dad and uncle when they were little. It’s my most treasured possession and I hope to pass it on to my girls.
I’d love for them to enjoy looking at all the pictures and reading the stories as much as I have.
September 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. That’s the only thing we pass from generation to generation.
October 20th, 2008 at 8:22 am
[...] with an “I love yow” written at the top. We planted the cuttings from our “sentimental plant,” with my dad. I’ve been able to watch a lot of chick flicks, and read a novel. Our [...]