Legacy

My legacy.......some people leave a legacy of children, of money, of property, etc.  Mine......plants.  I have plants that belonged to my grandmothers from the early sixties.
This bleeding heart belonged to my paternal grandmother, passed on to my mom, and then to me.

It is an amazing plant.  In the winter, the leaves fall off and there are just bare sticks, but as the sun in the early spring warms those sticks, tiny green leaves appear, and by mid-summer.......its hearts are bleeding.  Tiny, perfect white flowers, with drops of "blood" dripping from them.
All summer there is beauty in the lush green leaves, the pure white flowers, and the deep crimson drops.

This legacy is scary.  To have the responsibility of  these old plants, to keep them alive, and thriving.......I have learned that it is as much love, as anything else.  I love their beauty, the fact that they have stood the test of time.
And there is comfort in knowing  that they could be here 100 years from now.  I have given cuttings to friends and family, and I hope that these cuttings create a legacy of their own.  There is something, mystical, spiritual and soothing about old plants. They are a treasure, to be revered and respected, a gift to be passed on to those who will see their value.

Then there is that thread of connecting, to think that my grandmother Mamie,  once watered and cared for the plant that I care for today. I know that she loved plants, she knew their worth and their value.....and that is something that she passed on to me.  I hope that someday, someone, friend or family will want this legacy, will see and honor the value of these beautiful plants.......I don't want this legacy to end with me.