Plant Happy Memories

Spark memories of childhood, holidays and even your wedding day with flowers

Beautiful memories can be stirred by plants – the lavender which grew in your grandmother’s garden; that special rose your husband gave you; or the thyme your mother would pick for Sunday roast chicken.

But wouldn’t it be lovely to experience this nostalgia on a more regular basis?

Well, now you can, by simply creating ‘memory pots’ – vases filled to the brim with flowers and leafy plants that ignite special moments from the past every time you see and smell them.

WHERE DO I START?

First of all, seek out plants which remind you of a fond memory, such as the flowers you were surrounded by, or that you loved, as a child.

These could be sunflowers, marigolds, daffodils… Anything that reminds you of the happy times.

You can also add the flowers from your wedding bouquet to your pots. The bouquet might have contained sweet peonies or lavish roses, which work very well as they are highly fragranced.

Another idea is to grow, or plant, flowers which you have seen on holiday.

For instance, thinking of the Mediterranean, you could grow bougainvillea in a big container, along with lavender and sage.

Add the accessory of a cocktail stick or an empty bottle of tequila to remind you of that big night out on your holiday.

Gardeners can also create happy memories of holidays and gettogethers by using plants and accessories to recreate a time and place.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Your memory flowers aren’t about planting up a pristine display, so you don’t need to aim for perfection.

Instead, they are about remembering those happy moments as you are planting up and having that mindful time to yourself in peace, quiet and gentleness.

Just make sure you place your memories pots close enough to where you frequently regularly in your home or garden so you’ll be able to admire the flowers, while touching the leaves and smelling those evocative scents.