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Talkback: Plants that evoke memories
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White heather reminds me of my childhood in Scotland - it's supposed to bring you luck. Like wise the seedheads of dock - we children used to strip them off the plant and put in matchboxes as "tea" in our pretend shops. Sweet William reminds me of my late husband - it was his favourite plant as they self seeded all over his mother's garden when nothing else would thrive. Red geraniums too, Kate, my father's last plant he cared for at 91 was a lovely red geranium. I love poetry and paintings so a lot of my plants are chosen for their names - roses called Shakespeare and John Betjemen (both red), another red one called Matisse. When I visit them their works come to mind. The whole of our world is wrapped up in flowers, Kate. Freesias, with their lovely smell bring back my wedding day - they adorned my prayer book. You are so lucky to have a good olfactory organ.
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My maternal grandparents always grew geraniums on the entrance to my family's caravan park (Tree Tops Caravan Park, in North Wales). It’s the feel of the leaves and the fleshy stalks which takes back. Things have changed and our gardening team put in the most amazing display with over 15,000 bedding plants put out each year.
It's funny how these things work
Happymarion – I've never considered that I had a better sense of smell than anyone else – perhaps it's just my big nose!
Mandy – Thank you. I've not written a poem for years! Perhaps I'll give it a go.
Kate
http://higgysgardenproject.blogspot.com/
Higgy
Marion, I love the idea of choosing your plants according to their link to poets and painters. What rich associations!
My associations are all visual ones.
Sweet William reminds me of my grandmother because they were her favourite flowers. Ditto magnolia for my Mum. Daffodils always remind me of my first ever trip 'oop North' for an interview at York University, because they were all out around the city walls. (I got in, by the way, and never returned South).
http://www.mandysutter.com/reluctant-gardener-day-95-weedkiller/
These are visual memories for me, though, not scent memories.