I am so glad I still keep a blog / website / or whatever the heck you prefer to call my little space here on the Internet. Do I have a heartwarming story for you today.
I wrote a post way back in January 2013 offering up free hollyhock seeds after sharing a unique story about how I came to have all these hollyhock seeds that arrived in my mailbox from all over the world, each one with a handwritten note or letter sharing their story.
Fast forward to May 2020 when I received an email through the contact form of this site. In that email a lovely lady shared the most heartwarming story about herself growing up and what her mother did with the single mature blossoms of the hollyhocks she grew. In her words, “As a little girl my mother would take buds from her hollyhocks and attach them to single mature blossoms. She would then place them in a shallow dish filled with water. They looked like girls with full skirts floating in the water.” She went on to explain that she was now retired and hasn’t had those single hollyhocks in years. So she made a request that if I possibly still had any seeds to spare she’d love to plant them in front of her picket fence and would appreciate any colours.
I couldn’t resist. I knew I still had some of those seeds because I’ve held on to all those that didn’t get sent out to others I had mailed away. I also plan to plant some here in our new place. I picked out a variety of seeds for her and even gave her one of the letters that I still had so she’d know the story of the specific seeds she was receiving. I hadn’t heard a word until a few days ago.
In the mail was a photo mailer. When opened, inside was a handwritten note and an enlarged photograph. J had sent me an enlarged photograph from her mother’s album showing a picture of J on her 6th birthday holding a large tray of the ‘hollyhock dolls’ her mother had made for her. Her note also explained in more detail how her mother created those hollyhock dolls. I nearly cried.
A perfect example of the power of handwritten letters, but also in this case, of a printed photograph.
Leave room in your garden (and your life) for the fairies to dance.
I’m wishing all of you a week ahead filled with magical moments, much like this.
such beautiful flowers she grew from your seeds and wow, what a response through the mail you received!
A great story to accompany such a simple act! Our hollyhocks date back to my spouse’s grandmother, but they are slowly disappearing. We’re not sure why. Hopefully next year will be a turnaround.