What happened to the plant? Since Grandma passed away 60+ years ago, I simply don't know. Many keepsakes were taken by neighbors, and this may have been one of them. But I'll never forget that snake plant.
Today, my sister and I have house plants with back stories that are meaningful to us.
We each have a pot of oxalis given to us by a long-time friend who has since passed away. No wonder we take good care of these two potted plants, a link to our late friend.
At top, a different kind of plant legacy: A cutting from a plant that a younger relative has nurtured for at least 30 years. I was honored to receive this cutting last year and am keeping it going, hoping that maybe another generation will enjoy it (along with the back story).
Plants are not like the wonderful old photos we inherit or the insightful diaries or colorful maps or other heirlooms we treasure from earlier generations. But they can live on in a different way. If your plants have a family history link, please remember to tell the stories every so often, to let other relatives know the significance of these living heirlooms.
I have one of the Christmas cactus that belonged to my father. Seeing it makes me think of him.
ReplyDeleteA lovely way to remember your Dad...Christmas or anytime.
DeleteMy mother always grew plants and flowers in the house when I was growing up. I fondly recall her giant dieffenbachia that proudly stood almost reaching the ceiling in our living room. She'd cut it back every so often, sprouting the cuttings and giving them to friends. But it always grew back just as tall as before.
ReplyDeleteWow! Fun that she gave cuttings to friends as well. TY for commenting.
DeleteI, too, have an oxalis that belonged to my parents, as well as some tradescantia, and somehow I've managed to keep both alive in pots since 2018. I also got a small basket of plants from my stepdaughter when my father died in November 2007, with a rubber plant and some kind of palm. Each of those is now 3-4 feet tall, and I've had to move them into planters I can roll into the garage before a freeze, because the pots they used to be in got too heavy. I'm amazed all these plants are still alive, because otherwise I have a black thumb.
ReplyDeleteTerrific that you've managed to keep all these plants alive for so many years. I had to give away one pot with a giant plant that grew to nearly 5 ft, but I took a cutting first.
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