Bleeding Heart Plant
My first clear memory of my grandparents dates back to the age of 7. I can still hear my mother delivering the news that we would be moving to a new town. I took this in stride but there were two things I wanted to know— would we be closer to my favorite vacation spot (yes) and would we be closer to Grandma and Grandpa (no).
My grandparents raised their family in Wisconsin, but spent summers in their native Iowa where, as a teacher, Grandpa could move for the off season. By the time I was old enough to remember, they were back there permanently and we made an annual pilgrimage to visit.
I loved these expeditions, carried to the car curled up and sleepy with the damp dark of early morning all around me. Six hours later the sun had risen and we arrived at a house filled with magic—violets that sprang up in the lawn, black walnuts secreted away, and fireflies held jarred and captive to illuminate the loaned bedroom where we slept. Best of all were the bleeding hearts, which my grandmother would pull apart to reveal their secret treasures.
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You start with a bleeding heart flower |
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Then you pull off a pair of rabbits |
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This is followed by two question marks |
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Then Cinderella’s glass slippers |
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And in the very most interior recess, a tiny perfume bottle stopper. |
I was lucky enough not to lose a grandparent until my 20’s—or in some ways unlucky since the poignancy was stronger and more personal. I remember feeling that a thousand wonders had suddenly vanished, like the burning of a family homestead.
Bleeding Hearts
One of my favorite contemporary quotes is the Queen Elizabeth II’s 9/11 consolation that “grief is the price we pay for love.” My grandparents have been gone a long time now and recently my father passed on. And so I share to preserve. The heart does bleed, but we hope Cinderella lives on.
Thanks for sharing about these gorgeous bleeding hearts flowers. They are absolutely beautiful. I don’t think we have them in San Francisco.
I love spring with all of its natural beauty!
What a heartfelt post, Inger. I never knew the story of the glass slipper. I will be sure and share it with my grand-daughter when she comes to visit in July. (I hope and pray:)
I too remember my first sighting of the Bleeding Heart. The lady who lived next door to where I grew up had a magical garden. She told me the bleeding heart stemmed from a religious belief. Aren’t flowers so much more than elegant beauty?
Thank you so very much for sharing this touching story. My grandmother was Queen of meatballs!!!
I do hope you do get to share with your granddaughter. And I think that food memories of grandparents (and others) are some of the best! My (other) grandmother had a Danish meatball recipe that is now lost, since no one still living remembers it
Hi again!
I just added this link to my Nasturtium post (my latest post) I hope you don’t mind Inger:)
Thanks so much for the link, Louise!
Thank you for sharing! What a beautiful flower and what a beautiful story connected to it.
I remember my grandmother mainly by her garden and her food. It’s amazing how a certain fruit or vegetable or food brings back such strong memories. In fact, I’m growing little, “heirloom” strawberries this year, and they are very similar to the ones my grandmother used to grow. I think of her ever time I pick one…
Isn’t it interesting how things like food and gardens are especially good at making memories? Enjoy the strawberries!
What an incredibly touching post. I too lost my grandparents when I was in my 20s and I feel blessed to have been able to have them for so long.
I’ve seen bleeding hearts many a times growing up in the midwest but never knew the story. Thanks for sharing. Now I cannot wait to pass it along to my niece. I’m sure we’ll have many shredded bleeding heart flowers in our future.
I do hope you get to share this with your niece!
I loved this beautiful post. It struck a chord with me because there’s never a day when I don’t miss my grandmother & am hoping to go home next month and see her. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you get back to see your grandmother as well–time goes by so fast…
I love this! Beautiful pictures. First time I’ve heard about “treasures of the Bleeding Hearts.”
Thanks–it is a memory I hold dear and I couldn’t wait to grow the flowers to show my kids.
I can imagine! I’ve seen those flowers, I think, but I don’t grow them.
Yes, but in our family…what you call question marks are Cinderella’s earrings! And it’s a bottle of perfume
I had also read a magic want for what I called the perfume bottle stopper, which I think is perfect for the story! Perhaps when I have grandchildren I will do my own version and pick and choose!
I was trying to recall the sequence my own grandmother told me 50 years ago. She came to Pennsylvania from Austria, where her family were peasant workers on the estate of a count near Graz. The legend is the same, except according to my grammy, the questions marks were Cinderella’s earrings! Thank you for bringing back lovely memories.
You are the second person to mention the earrings. As I said to the other commenter, I think I may collect the best ideas and do a composite version when I have grandchildren!