I knew from the moment our eyes met that it was true love. Who else would be willing to move heaven and earth on my behalf? Who else would show me how amazing and beautiful the natural world could be? As we celebrate mothers this Sunday, I will share some of the influences that the strong women in my family have left with me.
I can still recall the mischievous twinkle in my grandmother’s eyes as she handed me the bucket and the trowel. It was a warm summer evening in Northern Germany, and she and I were about to go on our nightly slug hunt. My grandmother had a fantastic garden, featuring bountiful flower beds, a dense crop of red and black currants that she would transform into jam, and a shaded garden swing where we would gently sway and take in the landscape. She did not believe in using pesticides to staunch the marauding mollusks. Instead, she used the enthusiasm and energy of a young boy to collect as many as he could — sometimes chopping them in half. This was one of my earliest gardening memories and one that I often think of fondly. The very same joy for gardening was passed on to my mother, who set about creating her own backyard paradise at our home in Wilmington, Del.
My childhood was spent in the garden and, whenever guests were in town, at the nearby Longwood Gardens. The exposure to the gardens and conservatories there would leave a mark on me, although I wouldn’t realize how much until I had reached adulthood. Later, when my parents relocated to Maryland, my mother and I rented a small U-Haul to transport her cherished transplants to her new garden. Seeing those plants now has helped me understand the value of patience and the satisfaction that comes with nurturing something living over a long stretch of time. My own career found its way into the public garden world, where I met my wife, the mutual love of plants forming the basis for our bond.
Now, as the father of two children, my respect, admiration, and gratitude for motherhood has only deepened. Whether we recognize the connection or not, making gardens, growing plants, and caring for them taps into humans’ innate compulsion to nurture life itself. It seems quite fitting that flowers and motherhood are so closely associated. I feel incredibly privileged to work professionally with plants, but the foundation of my good fortune is deeply rooted in my personal life, the seeds of which were sown, nurtured, and supported by my grandmother, mother, and the mother of my children. Without them, I would not be who I am today.
Gayathri Sundaram of Cambridge smells a Charles Joly lilac at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
Garden events for Mother’s Day
Whether you are continuing a longstanding tradition or beginning a new one of your own, there are several world-class gardens in our region that host Mother’s Day celebrations. Beginning with one of the most venerated institutions, the Arnold Arboretum in Boston has been staging Lilac Sunday since 1908. Lose yourself in the swirl of fragrance amidst clouds of lilac blossoms from over 400 lilac shrubs representing 173 species, cultivars, and hybrids.
The Trustees of Reservations is planning events across their gardens for Mother’s Day, ranging from tulip and daffodil festivals, tea, coffee, and brunch, and floral pressing and arrangement workshops. Take a stroll along the Rose Kennedy Greenway to take in the sights and sounds of downtown Boston. For quieter reflections, Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge is hosting an event in Story Chapel. What better way to connect with history than to walk among the stately trees and landscape of this world-famous cemetery? Or celebrate with mom at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, where spring ephemerals, trilliums, and dogwoods will be showing off their blooms. Out in Sandwich, Heritage Gardens and Museum is offering free admission on Sunday to all mothers.
Whether in a public space or in the garden at home, let’s give thanks to those amazing women who foster the seeds of life to grow and the buds of opportunity to blossom.
Ulrich Lorimer is the director of horticulture at the Native Plant Trust in Framingham. Send your gardening questions, along with your name/initials and hometown, to ulorimer@nativeplanttrust.org.
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