BloomStruck® bigleaf hydrangea, 'Fireball' marigold and 'Mary Francis' bearded iris.
Marigolds, sweet alyssum and violet-colored bearded iris. These are the garden scents of my childhood that immediately transport me back to my mother’s garden. Hydrangeas remind me of my aunt; she grew one that magically bloomed pink, blue and purple all at once. The image of gorgeously pink ‘Helen Elizabeth’ poppies in a sea of ‘Johnson’s Blue’ geranium conjures days at my beloved old perennials-nursery job.
This is the way it has always been with plants for me. Whether it’s their scent or their blossom, some get forever associated with cherished places or those who adored or shared them. Even in my fortieth year of gardening, I have iris and primula from my childhood.
I know many other gardeners still lovingly nurturing decades-old, treasured plants for these very reasons. We love plants for their flower and foliage, but our connection goes way beyond this. Plants bind
