Gone Pickin - Flowers, Memories, and Planty Vintage
By Jen Dieter
Do you have fond memories of certain flowers that you associate with particular people?
Squash blossoms always remind me of my grandma, Grace. In the summer, she'd pick a few daily, coat them in Saltine crackers and fry them up. If you haven't tried them, you must!
Snapdragons remind me of my mom. When I was little, we had a neighbor who showed me how to make snapdragons "talk". They quickly became my favorite spring flower and even now I still can't walk past any Snapdragons without seeing if they're chatty. My mom buys me a giant bunch of them every year. If you didn't already know about them, look up "Talking Snapdragons" and try not to smile.
Moss rose always reminds me of my aunt. In the summer she has wagons and buckets and tall milk cans overflowing with it's succulent-like leaves and rainbow of blooms. It thrives in the full sun of her patio and is prolific for most of the season.
I grew up cultivating a love for both plants and vintage. Spring and summers were spent on my grandparents' farm. My grandma, Grace, had a mean green thumb and an eye for cool stuff. She lived just a couple of miles from my aunt, so nearly all of my best childhood memories include my aunt and cousins. We'd spend hours in "The Toy Room" playing with vintage toys my grandma won from auction.
Do you have fond memories of certain flowers that you associate with particular people?
Squash blossoms always remind me of my grandma, Grace. In the summer, she'd pick a few daily, coat them in Saltine crackers and fry them up. If you haven't tried them, you must!
Snapdragons remind me of my mom. When I was little, we had a neighbor who showed me how to make snapdragons "talk". They quickly became my favorite spring flower and even now I still can't walk past any Snapdragons without seeing if they're chatty. My mom buys me a giant bunch of them every year. If you didn't already know about them, look up "Talking Snapdragons" and try not to smile.
Moss rose always reminds me of my aunt. In the summer she has wagons and buckets and tall milk cans overflowing with it's succulent-like leaves and rainbow of blooms. It thrives in the full sun of her patio and is prolific for most of the season.
I grew up cultivating a love for both plants and vintage. Spring and summers were spent on my grandparents' farm. My grandma, Grace, had a mean green thumb and an eye for cool stuff. She lived just a couple of miles from my aunt, so nearly all of my best childhood memories include my aunt and cousins. We'd spend hours in "The Toy Room" playing with vintage toys my grandma won from auction.
Grace in her element. Outdoors in the summertime in my aunt's garden
Sometimes I'd disappear for hours upstairs where she kept all of her "finds". The two bedrooms upstairs were packed and filled to the brim - stuff in closets, under the bed, and stacked floor to ceiling. I'd come back down hours later with my haul and ask my grandma if I could keep my finds. Sometimes she'd say no in the nicest way only a grandma can. Or she'd say, "I'd really like to hang onto that". But trust me, I got lots of great treasures.
My favorite macrame and hanging plant, a Cebu Blue pothos. Along with part of my vintage floral art collection. The top two florals were given as a wedding gift in 1946 according to inscriptions on the backs.
Anything round makes a great planter! Already rusty and with cute little feet? Even better!
As an adult, I've combined my love of vintage and plants and I'm always looking for cool things to stick a plant in. I still get inspiration from my mom, aunt, and grandma. Some of my favorite vintage "planters" have been made from things like vintage colanders, teapots and old chairs. And I love to use things like cake platters, candy dishes, and wagon wheel hubs as plant stands to add some height to my houseplants.
Vintage oil lamp bases and salt and pepper shakers as flower vases and propagation vessels
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Vintage Crock Pot turned planter. You'll find one of these at nearly any thrift store. A Cool Whip or butter tub makes the perfect inner pot.
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Vintage French flower illustrations. I love to collect and frame vintage floral artwork. These little illustrations are also perfect for gift tags and crafts
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A vintage rattan headboard turned trellis
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Insider tip from Grace - save those yogurt, butter, and Cool Whip containers to use as drip trays. Or put holes in them, cut them to size, and pop them inside any cachepot that doesn't have drainage. I've learned nearly anything can be used to plant in or as part of a planty display. Be creative and use your imagination!
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About the author-
Jen Dieter lives in Winterset, Iowa with her husband, Josh, two dogs, and a sassy cat. You can find her shop, Planted With Grace Vintage, at 509 City Vintage in Des Moines and at Bridge 6 in Winterset. Click here to follow her on Instagram, or click here to follow Jen on Facebook to see her latest finds, news and shop her occasional online sales. You'll find photos as inspiration for fun ways you can incorporate vintage into your houseplants and garden on Jen's social media pages. |