I want to tell you the story of this clematis. When I was a little girl, my Great-Grandma had a clematis so huge it covered one quarter of the garage behind her house in Pennsylvania. Now the garage wasn't that big but when the clematis was in bloom it was stunning! Masses of purple flowers cascading from the roof and down the sides. I wish you could have seen it.
She passed away when I was 15 and her husband remained in the house until he also passed away quite a few years later. I was now married and my great-uncle asked me if I would like to come and dig up the bulbs and any other plants in her yard. The house was going to be sold. Without hesitation, I said yes. Drew and I went and dug up literally hundreds of bulbs and many plants. The one thing I wanted most was a start from her clematis. Someday I would have a sea of purple all my own.
We took the bulbs and plants back to our home and found a special place for all of them. The clematis went in at the corner of our potting shed. Years passed and it did not do very well. A few blossoms here and there but not much more. I always hoped that one day it would just take off and grow right up over the top like hers did.
The time came when we decided to move to Idaho. As much as I wanted to take them along, I just couldn't do it this time. After three wonderful years in Idaho, we found ourselves on our way to Pennsylvania then Missouri to another new home. This time, Drew would be coming along behind us in another week. We had all been staying in PA until our MO home was ready. He needed to finish up some work. While there, my beloved husband was thinking of me and my Grandma's flowers. One day, he went to visit the people who had purchased our PA home and asked if they would mind if he dug up a few starts. They said "Take as much as you want!" When he arrived in Missouri he had a special surprise for me. As I remember that moment, tears are flowing. I opened boxes and containers filled with bulbs and yes, a start from my Great-Grandma's clematis. What you see in the photo above is the first bloom from that start, here in Missouri.
It bloomed this week! One single bloom. Earlier this spring we had rows of her daffodils blooming. I'm thankful that I have flowers to remind me of this special woman.
My husband's thoughtfulness and love amazes me. Yet I know that God loves us even more!
Friday, November 2, 2007
My Great-Grandma's Clematis
Posted by Penny at 3:24 PM
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3 comments:
Penny,
This is so precious, and thoughtful of your husband. What a wonderful tie to your great grandmother. My great grandmother has flower connections too. I don't have any of her starts, but I can't see Pansies or bleeding hearts without thinking of her and the wonderful times I spent with her. She was a blessing to me and it is clear that your great grandmother is a blessing to you even now. Thank you for sharing the story with us.
I just harvested the last seeds for the year from a four-o-clock plant that grew from seeds from my grandmother's garden years ago. I'm getting ready to mail the seeds to several relatives, so we can all have a part of Granny's garden next summer.
How wonderful that your husband was thinking of your happiness in that way. What a true joy.
It's so nice to hear how both of you have flower connections to your Grandmas' also. Ann, you have seeds to share! That is so special.
The petals fell off the flower today and I pressed them. The Lord gave me an idea of what I can do with them so I have a reminder all year long. I will show you when it's done! :) Some pressed petals, some watercolor...
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