Thank you all for allowing me to be on a hiatus for the last 6 months or so. I’ve been busy doing a little cultivating and growing of my own. On October 6, 2014 my husband, Russell, our son Henry, and I welcomed a new Boyer into our lives. Naming our little girl has been a joy-filled journey. It’s also been one of significant meaning for both sides of our family, as well as a nod to the passion I share with you monthly. Would you like to hear about our amble down the garden path of naming our child?
Everyone, by all accounts, loved my husband’s grandmother. He has fond memories of spending time with her as a young child before she lost her battle with lung cancer in 1990. She had a passion for gardening, which she loved to share with her family. In particular, she had an expansive iris collection, one that her children continue in her honor at their own homes. They made sure to collect rhizomes from her favorite varieties before the homestead was sold many years ago. She was also known for planting a tree for each of her grandchildren so that as they grew, their tree grew as well. My husband says that she and I would have gotten along famously and that if he ever had a little girl, she would share his grandmother’s name: Lola.
Our baby’s middle name is in honor of my grandfather. Yes, I said grandfather. It’s a good story, too. The 7th of 9 children, grandpa was born on a cold February day in 1927 near Minco, Oklahoma. This was the eve of the Great Depression, a time when funds were often few and far between for many Americans. It was no different for the Kuhlman family, so when the time came for grandpa to be born, a midwife came to assist.
My grandfather’s parents, humble German immigrants, couldn’t afford to pay this wonderful woman. A family friend and neighbor, the midwife, was full of grace and kindness. Her response to their inability to pay her
$3 delivery fee was, “That’s okay. Just name the baby after me.” They promised to do so and when the baby came out a boy, they honored their commitment. His name is John Rose Kuhlman.
All three of these people have left legacies worthy of honor. Lola was a caretaker and an all around loving person. John is a man of strong faith whose calling card is a nod to his horticultural moniker. And Rose’s generosity is the stuff, well, legends are made of. I guarantee there were a lot of babies born near Minco with her name—we didn’t think her story should go quietly into the night. We chose to honor their lives and memories in the naming of our daughter.
Meet Lola Rose Boyer. She has quite the heritage surrounding her name. I plan to share my passion for gardening with her and hope that she finds as much delight in it as I do and her namesakes before me.
Have you gardened in honor of a family member? If, like Lola, you would like to have a collection of plants from the same genus who share cultivar names with your loved ones, consider iris, daylily, rose, daffodil, hibiscus, or mum. In fact, a search at http://allthingsplants.com for “Lola” revealed Iris ‘Lola’s Delight’ and Echeveria ‘Lola’ (a succulent sedum variety). A search for my own name revealed several cultivars of iris, daylily, mum and dahlia. If I remember correctly, the mums I bought two years ago were ‘Spicy Cheryl’. Food for thought anyway. I think it will be fun to hunt for cultivars containing “Lola” (and other family member names) as I shop for plants in the coming years.
How have you celebrated a loved one with gardening? Have you planted their favorite plants? Regularly chosen their favorite color?
Looked for plants that share their name in the cultivar? Planted a tree for them? Whichever way you choose to honor your loved ones, do it with joy and please, share their legacy with others. (Cheryl Boyer)
