A Flower from Childhood

[digitS']

Is there a flower from your childhood that reminds you of the first gardener in your life?

For me, it has to be the foxglove in my grandmother's garden. I thought of them again while reading @catjac1975 's posts on orchids and her grandson, Landon.

We lived with my grandmother on her little farm when I was 3 and 4. I must have been learning the words "fox" & "glove," at this time and trying to puzzle out how a fox would wear these flowers as gloves .

By the time I was 5, we had moved. I'm sure that I missed my grandmother. There was a Carnegie library in my new hometown. In the children's section, a mural of scenes from Aesop's tales was painted on the walls. There was the garden and there was the Fox, trying to eat the grapes. There also should have been foxgloves.

And, your gardening inspiration ..?

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

a flowering annual that had black seeds shaped like a grenade. that was when i was pretty young after we had just moved to the new house "in the country". i was about 4yrs old. eventually there were gardens and flowers and bugs and all sorts of fun to be had.

 

[aftermidnight]

Foxgloves and Canterbury Bells in my grandpa's cottage garden at the seashore

Annette

 

[Collector]

Our mother was institutionalized when I was 2 yrs old. My dad had to work all the time to take care of 5 boys, so if we were not old enough to go to school we lived with grandma and grandpa . My grandparents had a large vegetable garden, and grandma had big perineal/ cutting garden. I remember working in her garden always trying to tell me the name of every flower and plant and quizzing me on it daily. Her very favorite flowers were gladiolus, and she had a lot of different colors of them, I think she collected them. She would make flower arrangements for friends, family, and the church, the glads would be the main attraction in every arrangement. She was the first person in my life to peak my interest in the garden and growing world. She passed when I was 12 but I still remember many things about her , and think about her often.

 

[thistlebloom]

Loved your story @Collector .

My grandma was a gardener too. But we only got to visit during summer vacation. Staying with grandma and grandpa was where I learned to love Idaho with a passion.
Snapdragons always lined grandmas front walk and my sister and I would sneak a few blooms and put our fingers in them and make them talk. Grandma never found out. Or maybe she knew but let us do it anyway.

The smell of raspberries will always take me back to grandmas house in my memory.

 

[catjac1975]

Our mother was institutionalized when I was 2 yrs old. My dad had to work all the time to take care of 5 boys, so if we were not old enough to go to school we lived with grandma and grandpa . My grandparents had a large vegetable garden, and grandma had big perineal/ cutting garden. I remember working in her garden always trying to tell me the name of every flower and plant and quizzing me on it daily. Her very favorite flowers were gladiolus, and she had a lot of different colors of them, I think she collected them. She would make flower arrangements for friends, family, and the church, the glads would be the main attraction in every arrangement. She was the first person in my life to peak my interest in the garden and growing world. She passed when I was 12 but I still remember many things about her , and think about her often.

I hope my grandchildren tell stories about me one day. Mat parents were good parents but, the were fantastic Grandparents. My Dad is gone 19 years and Mom 16. Even extended family still talk about them.

 

[Nyboy]

No worries Cat you spend a lot of time with your grandkids making stories they will tell their kids about

 

[catjac1975]

No worries Cat you spend a lot of time with your grandkids making stories they will tell their kids about

At least I am famous to them right now. I have been told at school all they talk about is, "my Grandma's garden..."

 

[thistlebloom]

At least I am famous to them right now. I have been told at school all they talk about is, "my Grandma's garden..."

Your boys are gems Cat. I love hearing your stories about them. You are a famous grandma you know!

 

[Collector]

my Grandma's garden

You have already made memories for them , they will not ever forget them. I think grandparents have special relationships with grandchildren because there is not the stress and responsibility of raising them. You have more time to spend talking to a child about a child’s thoughts and ideas, and less time thinking about paying bills and such.

@thistlebloom ,My grandmother has been gone 40yrs now and I can still remember what her house smelled like. Some things you could never forget.