My grandmother and brugs!

15 years ago

My mother asked me last week what plants I had in the spare room. I told her about the brugs. She was very surprised. She hadn't seen a brug in about 50 years.

My grandmother had grown brugs for many years! They were destroyed when I was very small -- very unusual hard freeze lasting for several days. As my grandmother had moved into my parents' home, she wasn't able to add insulation and heat to her brugs since they were planted in the ground at her house. She didn't get any more to plants at my parents' home because of my brother and me! (Afraid to have the brugs with small children around. Probably a good idea as my brother would eat anything --- he had a couple of severe stomach problems due to ingesting plants.)

I have no memory of these brugs. What I do remember is working with my grandmother in the garden. Our vegetable gardens were several acres. Then, we had the plantings around the two houses.

I can't help but wonder if there isn't a subconscious memory of her brugs as I fell in love with them as soon as I saw photos. Before I read the first word about them, I KNEW they had a wonderful scent.

It's also funny that her favorites were the same as mine --- yellows and whites.

After telling me about this, my mother said she would give anything to find a brug. They are an important memory of her mother. Thanks to the generosity of everyone here, I was able to tell her I will plant some brugs in her garden in a month or so! (Just need to make sure we are past any cold weather.) Those duplicates are even more appreciated now. THANK YOU!

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Comments (8)

maemae0312
15 years ago
ohh what a sweet story. I some iris that I have moved with me to every house I have been in. And when I was in an apartment for about 6 months they were in a pot waiting on a new home. These were special as my Grandfather had dug them out of his yard and mailed them to me!

Mary
phoenixryan
15 years ago
What a very special story to go along with very special plants. My grandfather passed away several years before I was born, however, I've been told that I've picked up more than few of his qualities, particularly with gardening. Amelia, the elephants food plant that I sent you cuttings from actually has a history back to my grandfather. He had bought that plant on a business trip and brought it home for my grandmother. She planted it in the little bit of yard they had in the retirement village/trailer park. It nearly took over, grew like crazy. My grandmother gave cuttings of it to everyone. When my grandfather passed away, my grandmother moved to a smaller apartment, and forgot to take some of the plant with her. Till the day she died, she was never successful at growing it again from cuttings off my plant (which originally came from hers) or others. She was convinced my grandfather was upset she forgot to take cuttings from the original plant and wasn't going to let her have anymore LOL. So needless to say, next time I move, I'll be taking lots of cuttings with me! :-)
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gottahosta
15 years ago
Great family stories from all of you! Gardening is in my genes too, Ryan.

Amelia, how happy you must be to fulfill one of your mother's beloved memories and her wish!

Brenda
chena
15 years ago
AWWWWW!!!!
How very cool.. Those are such wonderful stories...I think somewhere we can all look back and pick a piece here and there....My GF who was older then dirt..LOL loved to graft fruit trees.. He had one that had 5 different fruits on it.. He loved his homing Pigeons and he raised Honey bees.. He never got mad at us if we accidentally got a bee or two in the jar when we would help him can..LOL
My mother could grow also.. I am so glad my DD in the past few yrs has learned to get her hands dirty.. My grands.. They are Naturals!!! LOL
givelittle_getlots
15 years ago
I agree with everyone. Stories that make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

Thank you for taking the time and sharing the family history of your special plants

Lucy
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
15 years ago
That's a good story. Funny how plants can really tie families together.
My mom grew a couple unamed brugs when I was little in Calif. Then later she had a yellow noid in our yard in Phx, when I was a teenager as well. She grew it in semi-shade under an old AZ Elm, the old nieghborhoods in Central Phx got irrigation (still do) so many have nice lawns and pretty mature fruit trees etc.

Both my mom and grandmother still grow brugs. They have more varieties now though, since I got so crazy about them.
My grandma is in her 90's and still does everything for herself including climbing up on the roof to fix her cooler lol!

Kylie I like your story about your grandfather and the bees in the honey lol. My grandpa on my dad's side grafted citrus and other fruit trees as well in Calif.

My mom has an old garden rose that has came down through my grandmother's side of the family since the 1770's.
She also has gobs of old cactus and succulents she's grown forever.
chena
15 years ago
I hope you have a piece of that Family Rose growing at your house.. That thing is part of the family!!!How Very COOL!!!
phoenixryan
15 years ago
SJN, you should try rooting a cutting of your mom's rose. I was amazed to recently learn that you can root roses from cuttings. I happily discovered this by accident, when some roses from valentines day started growing new branches taller than the roses themselves.

I've posted a link to some info on growing roses from cuttings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Roses

My grandmother and brugs!

Comments (8)

maemae0312

phoenixryan

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