Home Gardening

Plant Stories, They All Have One
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - May 12, 2008

One of my favorite activities to do when somebody visits my garden is to tell them the story of an individual plant. This particular plant story is about my White Profusion butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii ‘White Profusion’) and family connection.

In the fall of 1989 I was taking the plant propagation class at Clemson University. We had gone to lab and collected cuttings from various plants in the South Carolina Botanical Garden, including White Profusion butterfly bush. I gave one of the rooted cuttings to my mom and dad who live in Fairfield Glade, TN.

In subsequent years, as my family moved to Ohio, Tennessee, and Illinois, I collected cuttings and always had “my” White Profusion butterfly bush growing in my yard. When we made the decision last year to move to Mississippi it was winter in Illinois and I was unable to take cuttings from my plant. Later this year my wife and I will be making a trip to Tennessee to collect cuttings from my, well actually my mom’s, White Profusion butterfly bush. As we plan and plant our new Mississippi garden I am looking forward to creating new stories.

Another plant story is related to moving. When we relocated from Tennessee to Illinois we had to declutter our garden. Everyone does not appreciate a horticulturist’s yard. Instead of digging plants and composting, I invited the neighbors over and told them they could dig up whatever they wanted as long as they planted it in their own yard. Immediately, this created a connection with our soon to be former neighbors. Now whenever they look at these plants in their own yard they can reminisce of the fun we had that weekend and friendship.

I am reminded of this plant story every spring and fall when gardeners are either adding plants to their garden or dividing plants as they become overgrown. You don’t have to go to the extreme of moving to share plants. Get in the habit of sharing with your family, friends, and neighbors as you do your normal garden maintenance. That daylily that needs to be divided or the Sago Palm that has a “litter” of pups is a perfect sharing opportunity.

You will then be able to recount your own plant stories.

Written by Dr. Gary R. Bachman, Assistant Extension Professor of Horticulture, Coastal Research & Extension Center.