The Legacy of the Giant Aloe Plant
A woman called the shop one day asking if we would repot a giant aloe vera plant. It had belonged to her recently departed Nana, her grandmother.
She remembered seeing the plant at Nana's house since she was 5. Making the plant at least 30 years old. She recalled her Nana applying its healing elixir to many a cut and scrape.
When her grandmother grew ill, it became more and more difficult for her to care for the beloved aloe plant. But still it grew.
When Nana died, she decided that her grandmother's aloe vera plant had to live on. So she contacted a few flower shops and asked if they would repot it for her.
But when she called Fly Me To The Moon Florists, she said she knew immediately in her heart that she wanted us to do it. She spoke with Susan, my sister and resident plant specialist. who suggested she bring in a picture of the plant beforehand so she could assess what the plant actually needed.
The woman mentioned that it was pretty big, but nothing prepared us for the colossal plant she brought into the shop that day. It took both her and her boyfriend to carry it in. They broke off one of the offshoots in the process.
It must have weighed a ton. Okay, maybe only 25-30 pounds. But it was huge. Or should I say, they were huge. There were actually seven plants in one gargantuan pot.
It was probably the healthiest aloe vera plant I've ever seen though. Most aloe plants I see usually have a broken or discolored leaf or two. There was nary a one on this behemoth.
Susan and the woman decided to individually repot six of the smaller plants to give to relatives. And she would keep the mother plant for herself.
I thought the woman might burst into tears when she realized that she'd have to leave the plant over the weekend. She said goodbye to Nana, the name she began calling it and left.
Image: Fly Me To The Moon Florists
Well it took about 45 minutes for my sister and me to get it out of the pot. It was really wedged in there. Several hours later all 7 plants had been repotted. They looked great.
Image: Fly Me To The Moon Florists
Susan wrote up care cards for the aloe vera plant and called the woman to pick them up. She was so delighted.
About 30 minutes later, her boyfriend returned to the shop with one of the smaller plants. It seems she wanted Susan to be part of Nana's legacy too.
What's legacy have people in your family left you?
Mimi
What an interesting, sweet story!
Posted by: Bellenza Bistro | 01/10/2013 at 04:49 AM
OK, how is it I have a tear in my eye over a plant story? This is beautiful and I am so happy she found you.
Posted by: My Crafty Home Life | 01/10/2013 at 10:07 AM
It truly was a touching story. Your response to it makes me glad I decided to share it. Thanks for your comment Linda!
Posted by: Mimi | 01/10/2013 at 01:06 PM
It was very sweet. Watching it all play out was a little like watching a movie. I truly appreciate your comment.
Posted by: Mimi | 01/10/2013 at 01:18 PM
Touching indeed. It reminds me of my grandma who passed away some years in hindsight. She left a box for my mother and it was half full of seeds. Mom took the initiative of using the seeds but she always see to it that the seeds on the box gets replaced.
Posted by: Georgina Hubbard | 01/15/2013 at 01:21 AM
Georgina, thanks for sharing that story about your grandmother. As you can imagine, it was quite a blessing for us to share in helping this woman hold on to this piece of her family.
Posted by: Mimi | 01/16/2013 at 01:47 PM