Do You Name Your Plants?
Do you name your plants? Growing up, my mom would have unique names for certain houseplants. She used to change them up all the time. I know she had a beautiful Maiden Hair Fern with a name.
Since my mom, Sonja Behnke Festerling, passed away, her husband, Joe Festerling, has taken to calling different plants Sonja after her. This Rose of Sharon is one that Mom loved; since it was her favorite color, he now calls it Sonja. I saw a few of these he has rooted, so I plan to get a ‘Sonja for my home soon.
I have always liked the memories that plants, like songs, bring to us. When I see African Violets, I always think of my grandmother, Rose Behnke, and even my mom as they grew beautiful violets. I see a rose garden, and my grandfather, Albert Behnke, immediately pops up. Maybe my children will think of me when they see happy pansies blooming down the road. Of course, if they still happen to have my daylily that my grandfather named after me, I am sure that will make them say, Oh look, Mom is blooming!
What are some plants that bring back memories for you?
I have a 40* year old ponytail palm that accompanied me on several moves around MD and now is planted in my garden in central Florida. Gordon is happily thriving among his new family of plants….❤️
Aww, I love that Gordon has been able to move around with you!!
I have plants that are named. Jameson my grandson I got a Colorado baby blue eyes spruce from Behnkes in 2016 and had dug the hole already and after he was born and I had left the hospital I went to Behnkes and got it and put it in the ground 10/1/16 at 8pm. He was born 3:15am that morning. The tree is now 9′ tall and very blueish!
My wife Lois has the white dogwood named after her, twin grandson Thomas has a Japenese small tree, daughter Stephanie a pink dogwood from Behnkes, son in law Ryan has a silver maple I planted in 2015 , twin granddaughter Willow was one of my rare failures and her and I are getting something new this fall
That’s our story
Howard