QUESTION FOR YOU

What memories do you associate with Grape hyacinths?

These magical blue flowers take me back to a time when I was no taller than my mom's waistline....she's around 5ft tall, give or take.

I REMEMBER walking with her over to our neighbor, Charlene's house, walking along their corner fence, and admiring these magical little blue spires of whimsy, peeking up through the earth.

IMAGINE

It was like a miniature wonderland filled with tiny blue balloons, and that name! IT HAD GRAPE in it! Were they grapes? No, but that didn't end my fascination.

I REMEMBER walking with her over to Pam's house listening to them say the names of these blue beauties.

I REMEMBER bringing home some grape hyacinth bulbs to share with mom from a display we had just taken down at my first horticulture job at Chicago Botanical Garden.

I REMEMBER getting starts from my momma Donna, when my husband and I moved to our first home in Mount Ayr.

I REMEMBER getting starts from the bulbs I gave to mom, to plant in our garden at our new home in Davenport.

SO MANY MEMORIES!!!

I am just as enamored with them today, as I was 40+ years ago.

Not just because they are beautiful, but because they take me back to a simple (to me) time back to innocence, back to all the moms (who took the time to show me their flowers) who helped shape who I am today.