Memories of Mother's Day and my mother Pauline

14 years ago

We had a beautiful weekend here gardening, after ~4 " spring rains, everything looks like the Pacific NW! Lush green!

Mother's Day should cause us to reflect on our mothers. I had a lot of emotion thinking back on my Mother, Pauline Banyai and her enthusiasm in the Spring, not only for plants emerging but friendships re-emerging as we went out to visit with people and saw their gardens.

My wife Lois and I were outside this weekend as much as possible, visiting rare plant nurseries and gardening friends. At one house with a very nice garden, they had a great big "Whirlwind" looking quite stunning. Although Mom had a great run with her hosta introductions, it may not be well known that she was with John Kulpa when they found the plant which was to become hosta "Whirlwind" at a plant nursery!

Whirlwind of course looked somewhat like her "Something Different" sport of Gold Standard but was still unique to her eye.

In the Detroit area, it would only be a week or so after Mother's Day and then we would hit the ground with "Flower Day at Eastern Market: I wish we had videos of those halcyon hosta market days!

The last couple of years we sold there, before she died, her real goal was to promote the Michigan and American Hosta Societies. Our sales stall against the end wall allowed us to post signs - which drew people to talk about the plant societies as well as our plants.

This year's 2009 AHS convention in Lansing area would be a highlight for our family if she was still alive - but it looks like I may not be able to make it due to job commitments.

Keep family heirloom hosta going - pass them on to the next generation!

Right now, it's 10:36 PM here, 45 degrees wet and cool, but comfortable in my basement gardening garage - dividing a few Nigrescens seedling clumps from my mother, from the late 1980's - she was working on red stems and some are still coming out!

Bruce Banyai

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Comments (8)

lindac
14 years ago
Aah! Bruce....funny you should post this tonight. I was pottering around in the garden this evening, pulling a few weeds, removing some spent last year's scapes, and Whirlwind was finally poking through the leaf covering. I had wondered where it was, but today it showed up.
it's a lovely plant.....thanks to your mom!
Linda C
mctavish6
14 years ago
Bruce,

I've often though that Permanent Wave isn't talked about enough. It is one of my favourite plants. Here are a couple pictures - tribute to your mom. Myrle
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Those kids sure are wonderful. A few now live out of state, but when home to visit, always come by to check on the garden and see what new plants have been added off the list. The extra marigolds from the originals found homes in my daughter's apt back porch. Yellow and orange that my mom used with her tomatoes to keep the bugs from gettting them. My son, who lives in Kentucky, has some chinese forget me nots, malva zebrina, and a few others in pots on a patio garden. My sister and brother prefer to just buy from the nursery, but they do buy some of the plants that my mother grew. Linda, the funny story with those victorian ornaments is that I would never in a million years have had them in my yard. I always thought "it just isn't me", yet I have my own craft business that is mainly hand thread crochet victorian Xmas tree ornaments. I would put out things like the ducks, the bunnies, a cat, but nothing like those. In the spring of 2002, I took them all out of the cellar to put in the memorial garden and their wasn't really enough room for the one with the gazing ball, so she got moved to another spot. They grew on me over that summer and now I love them. Must be that I'm just getting old or something strange. Alberta, you could do what I have done in memory of my grandfather. I grew up with my grandparents on a summer veggie and flower farm. He would plant at least 100 tomato plants. Nothing including severe water bans would stop him from watering those toms of his. One summer, we had such a severe drought that all water usage outdoors was banned and you could be arrested for using any. He was jumping out of his skin over those tomatoes of his. So he rigged this elaborate siphoning system from the bathtub to hoses that went out the bathroom window and long enough to reach all the plants of his. Every time someone took a shower, and there where 7 of us, we had to plug the tub so water would collect in the tub. then when it was full, he would drain the water and water his tomato plants. He rigged another hose to the line from the portable dishwasher to a huge rain barrel and a syphon in there too. All the water from the dishwasher was used on those tomato plants as well. He didn't loose a plant and we had an abundance of tomatoes, but nothing else. So what I have done since I started gardening over 30 years ago is put an American flag in one of my pots that have my tomatoes in them. He was an Army vet from World War 1 and worked with the military during world war 2. It makes me feel close to him all the time. Put a flag beside some of your bleeding hearts. Fran
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Dot & Jannie ~ sweet stories ~ made me smile! This is the first Mother's Day without my sweet little Mother. One of my last memories of her was last Mothers Day. Mom and Dad went into assisted living a few years ago in Las Vegas where they retired. My Mom started running away after 6 mos or so and they were both moved into memory care at the same facility. Daddy didn't have to go in there but he said he was married to her for 68 years and was not going to leave her. God Bless him. Anyway, my friend and I went to visit for Mother's Day weekend and we were taking them out for brunch at the golf course clubhouse where they used to live (their favorite place.) Mom's dementia had progressed to where she rarely said anything but maybe a word or two now and then....which never really made any sense. As we were driving over there, I was sitting in the backseat with my Mom (who by the way was very tiny, 63 lbs, and NEVER swore ~ I still have a chip in my front tooth from where she backhanded me with her diamond ring when I attemped to swear at a driver who had just cut me off. I was 37 yrs old LOL) I was cuddling her and loving on her and I told her where we were going and asked her if she was going to have something to eat with us? She rarely ate then too. She looked me dead in the eye and *winked* and said " kiss my @ss." OMG my friend and I roared although Dad was a bit upset that she swore. LOL My little mother ~ my little darlin~ I miss her!
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Thank you. BTW, we live in So.Ohio, so the Imperial Glass pieces are even more special. The factory closed the same year my first child was born. Imperial Glass, Bellaire, OH I don't collect EAPG, but I once found one of the 'Candlewick' candle holders at a Goodwill store.
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caliloo
14 years ago
Whirlwind is a perennial favorite in my garden and I eagerly anticipate its return every year. I will forever more think of you and your mom when I walk past it and love it not just because it is a wonderful garden worthy plant but because of the personal connection. Thanks for sharing your stories!

Alexa
hosta_freak
14 years ago
Bruce,I have a couple of Whirlwinds in my garden,and they are just now starting to show their potential. I got them at K-Mart,yes K-Mart,a couple of years ago. They weren't even labeled at the time,but I recognized them immediately. I enjoy the touch of color they add to my garden! Thanks to your Mom! My mother passed back in 1996,but we lived in Fla.,and I had never even heard of hostas then! Phil
lisasmall
14 years ago
Oh hey, Bruce, I didn't know any of that about your mom.

Thank you for sharing it with us.
brucebanyaihsta
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes, Permanent Wave is indeed unique in its leaf display, and bloom. It becomes quite showy and large with age.

It was a seedling that Mom gave away to a close friend, Jim Langhammer of Royal Oak (thanks Jim for all the garden memories!) who several years later brought it back to her and said it was worthy of registration and a neat name, even though it was all green. She was not a fan of all green hosta unless they had uniqueness.

After receiving the plant back into her garden, she wracked her brain (and mine!)for a suitable name. Mom was getting her Saturday hair fixed and as she sat under the hair dryer at the hair salon, her eyes fell on a poster for selling some "Permanent Wave", and thus the name was found.

John Kulpa of course is a fantastic hosta hybridizer in his own right - but Whirlwind was a chance find in the trade. There has been a writeup on it and its progeny recently in the AHS Hosta Journal. Thanks, John for the great plants!

Bruce
Eleanor B
14 years ago
What a nice tribute to your mother, Bruce. Whirlwind is one of my personal favorites. I've divided my original multiple times and have 5-6 near the front and middle of a bed bordered by a row of pine trees. They always look so stunning and healthy and don't seem to be bothered by pests. Love Whirlwind!
hostahaveum
14 years ago
Thank -you so much for sharing w/ us the story of H.Whirlwind & your mom Pauline , Bruce. It is wonderful you were able to share those hosta history making times with her. What beautiful memories you must have. ~Dot

Memories of Mother's Day and my mother Pauline

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Memories of Mother's Day and my mother Pauline

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