Most gardeners eventually reach a point where they stop asking, “What can I grow here?” and start asking a different question. “What do I want this garden to mean?” A funny thing happens after a few years of gardening. The excitement of adding one more shrub or one more perennial begins to fade. Garden centers are still fun, of course, but eventually another hydrangea is just another hydrangea unless it carries a story with it. Some of my favorite plants aren’t necessarily the rarest, the prettiest, or even the most impressive performers. They’re the ones that come with a history.
One of the plants I treasure most is a hydrangea descended from one that grew in Rosalynn Carter’s butterfly garden. The plant itself is beautiful, but that’s only part of the reason it matters to me. Every time I see it bloom, I’m reminded of the garden where it came from and the woman who helped create it. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to win a silent auction for the butterfly bench that once sat in that same garden. Both now have a place in my landscape. Visitors see a hydrangea and a bench. I see a story.
Plants have been carrying stories for generations. One of the most famous examples is the Peggy Martin rose. Following Hurricane Katrina, nearly every plant around a Louisiana garden was destroyed by floodwaters. One climbing rose survived after spending days underwater. Cuttings were shared, propagated, and distributed across the country. Today thousands of gardeners grow descendants of that rose, not simply because it is beautiful, but because it represents resilience.
Many pass-along plants have similar beginnings. Daylilies, irises, daffodils, and old-fashioned roses often move from one garden to another through friendships, family connections, and community sharing. A division from a grandmother’s peony or an iris passed along by a neighbor can become far more meaningful than anything purchased at a garden center. Some gardeners collect plants associated with historical figures. Others seek out heirloom vegetables with fascinating histories. Cherokee Purple tomatoes, for example, carry a story connected to generations of seed saving. Moon and Stars watermelon traces its origins back more than a century. Even many old Southern camellias and gardenias have histories that stretch back through multiple homeowners and landscapes.
Stories don’t have to come from famous people or historical events. Some of the best stories are personal. A tree planted to celebrate a marriage. A rose planted in memory of a loved one. A cutting rooted from a friend’s favorite plant. Years later, those plants become living markers of moments that might otherwise fade with time. Gardening is often described as creating beauty, producing food, or supporting pollinators. All of those things matter. Gardens can also preserve memories. Unlike photographs tucked away in albums, plants continue growing, changing, and reminding us of the stories attached to them.
This summer, consider leaving a little room in your landscape for something with a history. Search for a pass-along plant. Ask family members if there are old plants connected to your family’s story. Look for a variety that survived a storm, traveled across generations, or played a role in local history. The next time someone asks about your favorite plant, the answer might have less to do with the flower and more to do with the story behind it.
Kimberly Lowe-Williams is a UGA Douglas County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer. For more gardening tips and resources, visit the University of Georgia’s Extension website at http://extension.uga.edu/. The local UGA Douglas County Extension office is also available to assist at uge2097@uga.edu or 770-920-7224.
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