The first spring flowers to arrive in our yard are camellias and calla lilies. I love these flowers, not only because they are beautiful, but they are the two flowers that remind me of my grandmother, Nana, June McBride.
“What plant do you smell that takes you straight back to a memory of someone in your life?”
She had beds of calla lilies and large camellia bushes in her yard. She always had a camellia in a crystal bowl on her table and vases of calla lilies in the kitchen. I can’t see either one of these flowers and not think of her.
This is one of the healing medicines that the plants give to use. Their scent and their beauty remind us of the people, places and experiences in our lives.
What plant do you smell that takes you straight back to a memory of someone in your life? What flower reminds you of your mother? What tree, plant or flower reminds you of your childhood, or a place you used to live or a relationship that you had?
Camellias again, are big for me. I look at them and I think of my grandmother and then I think of her impact on my life. She taught me how to sew, needlepoint, knit, crochet, clean, be kind to others, take care of the people around us.
She taught me manners and to trust my intuition. She always said that you could look into someone’s eyes and know if they were telling the truth. Best of all she got me dancing! Could that woman jitter bug! To this day, I love dancing and crafting. Part of why I fell so in love with herbalism is because of how creative of an art it is.
June McBride planting trees 1970
Her teachings are with me every day of my life. So when I see the camellia I think of her, but I also feel her legacy in me, the flower also reminds me of who I am.
My great grandmother loved orchids, gardenias are my mom’s flower; I can’t see a snapdragon without thinking of my grandfather’s gardens. I could go on…..
I know you’ve heard the saying, stop and smell the roses….. I would like to say, stop and behold the flowers of your memories.
Spend some time with them. It is amazing how much emotion and feeling can come with sitting with the flowers. Take some time; sit with the flowers of your memories, your loved ones, your ancestors…
The flowers bring healing with these memories. What flowers are your healers?
Hi Kami. My mother loved violets. She had them all over the house. I always think of her when I see one. I also catered the wedding of a good friend who wanted calla lillies on her wedding cake, I made them from fondant, but still think of her when I see real ones.
Hi! Love your posts! They give me inspiration and help me in my journey! Irises remind me of my grandmother. Dad loved to paint Camilla’s. Mom loved her daffodils. My Italian grandparents loved herbs and I can smell basil and think of them. Amazing how smells bring back so many memories!!
Lilacs, roses and honeysuckle all remind me of my mother who passed 20 years ago. She always had rose bushes and honeysuckle was one of our favorite Avon scents (okay, not really a flower but still have great memories from that). Maybe honeysuckle is what I’ll plant next!
Every time we moved, my husband would plant a rose bush. At our last move, the dirt was too poor and we were too tired to start over, so he gave me roses for my birthday and Valentine’s Day. He passed away 4 years ago, and our son continues the tradition.
Roses are a big one. My grandma and I had a strained relationship, but the roses… we both found joy in the roses.
Strawberries would be another. The adorable flower then of course the berry.
Lilac is another. It reminds me of my dad. He has passed now. I tried so many times to get a start to grow from the lilacs that he planted before I was born. I wasn’t ever successful. I have a neighbor with beautiful lilacs on the other side of the canal. I get a few weeks of feeling extra close to my dad.
Lilacs, Lily of the Valley, Honey Suckle.. they all grew in our back yard when I was a little girl. I would pick bunches of Lily of the Valley for my Mama, & my brother Charlie & I would stand on the wall in the driveway picking Honeysuckles & sucking the sweet nectar out of them in the summer sunshine… What sweet memories of my family all on Spirit Side now.. Thank you Kami
I have nasturtiums every summer. One time my grandma came over and she saw them. She told me that in Germany, (where she grew up) they called them Barbara Flowers. Her name was Barbara and she was very good to me. Miss her.
Awww…what a sweet memory
My Dad always used to bring me daisies or pink carnations. My Grandma always planted asters and sweet williams
Roses remind me of Marie. She had a beautiful garden and I loved helping her with it
My Nana loved Violets
My Grandfather loved globe amaranth and marigolds. My My Mom loved Cloemes and My Dad Sasanqua
My Mom are Orhids (all) & Roses…..
I remember the tall cosmos, beautiful light pink petal flowers that an elderly woman grew in her garden. She allowed me to park my car in her driveway near the place that I worked. When my soulmate dog Abby died, we buried her in the yard, wrapped in her favorite blanket and with her black teddy furry friend. We all threw these flowers upon her noting her beauty and resilience.
Lilacs, snowballs, and hydrangea were always growing in my grandma Lena and nonies yard. My grandma Peggy had a yard full of all kinds of roses. Lilacs hold a special place in my heart, we live in Phoenix and lilacs do not grow here, I have to go up north to see them.
Peonies, tulips, roses and snapdragons remind me of my mom, Lilacs and hunny suckle remind me of my Grandma, Iris remind me of my Great Grandpa
Dianthus, those small carnations with just one layer of petals, growing in little mounds near the ground in bright pinks and white and red. I think they call them pinks sometimes. I remember the sweet-spicy smell of them from when I was little and close to the ground, just messing around in the yard while my parents did yard work. Smelling that smell is so comforting to me. Maybe I’ll try growing some this year, thanks for the suggestion. <3
What a sweet memory, Jana!
I always plant pansies in honor of my mother who left this life on October 11, 1988. Just stocked up and will plant some beautiful pansies and remember my beautiful mom on Sunday! Thanks for such a timely post – it’s nice to read about how flowers help others remember too!
Wild Rose – reminds me of my Grandmother. She would take us on walks into the forest and encourage us to eat the petals. They tasted so good!
My mom planted a patch of peonies outside of her bedroom window so that when the wind blew, it would fill up her room with the sweet smell. She would also gather a bouquet of black-eyed susans for my birthday from her garden in the back yard. Both of my grandmas had rose gardens.
Aaaah, i love hearing those stories…
I always plant a yellow rose bush in memory of my late grandmother – they were her favorite. I also used to have irises that were descendants of some that belonged to my great grandmother. Just prior to my last move, I dug some up and sent them to my mother and sister so that they could enjoy them (I moved to a condo and have no place to plant them).
Peonies, Lilacs, Rose of Sharon, Bleeding Hearts and Lilies all remind me of both of my parents. We are in the middle of a cold winter here in Ontario Canada, but I have pictures from their garden. Maybe I need to go pull those out! I wish there was a lilac essential oil! I did infuse some dead sea salts years ago with Lilacs, and I still have them in a decorative jar in my bathroom. Maybe tonight is a good time to open that up! Thanks for this post, I needed a few minutes to be with my memories… Read more »
Lilac’s and Lily of the valley take straight to my childhood and Grandma. (We lived with them when I was young). Peony’s are mt Mom’s great love…..But Roses remind me of my Children. My boys always gave me Roses.
My mother mostly enjoyed rose and iris gardens. She had hundreds of each, all different and she knew them all by name. She took meticulous care of them and proudly displayed them in the house in numerous vases throughout bloom season. What a blessing to our family. I definitely smile when I see a rose or iris because I think of her. I myself have a few dozen and am so amazed by how many colors and varieties there are. Blooms of any kind are miracles to me.
It’s amazing how a flower can invoke connections to past loved ones. I have a peony flower in my garden I’ve written about. I was hesitant to share it but after reading your words, I felt inspired to post it! Thank you for that! Here’s the link if you would like to read it at http://www.daniellekaren.com/2017/04/meet-alice/
I love this!
This is really beautiful
Gardenia definitely reminds me of my mother. I love the scent of Stargazer lilies, jasmine and Meyer lemon flowers.