Today marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, and I’m commemorating this event in a special way.Last spring I purchased a new lilac, Syringa vulgaris ‘President Lincoln’, after receiving an email about it from my aunt. This spring, if it survives my rather haphazard* care of it, I’ll find a nice spot to plant it out in my garden.
When I see this lilac, I’ll think about how Lincoln grew up in southern Indiana, coming here in 1816 when he was seven, and leaving in 1830 when he was 21. In between, many people, including my own great-great-great-grandfather, David Turnham, crossed his path and helped him in many ways.
Turnham helped Lincoln by loaning him his copy of The Revised Statues of Indiana, which was the first law book Lincoln read. Our family is proud of this connection to Lincoln. We are fortunate to know it happened and be able to commemorate it.
And that’s what I’ll be doing when I plant this lilac. I’ll be commemorating the idea that anyone can have a positive impact on another person. Anyone can do something that shapes the future in ways un-imagined. They can do so with a kind word, an exchange of ideas, or even the loaning of a book.
There will be no great ceremony when I plant this lilac, no speeches or proclamations. It will just be me, out in the garden, planting a shrub, and thinking about who I might loan a book to, perhaps a good book about gardening.
Do you plant trees or shrubs to commemorate historic events like this, or events within your family?
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If you want to commemorate this Lincoln bicentennial event, but you don’t have room in your garden for Syringa vulgaris ‘President Lincoln’, which is a large shrub, perhaps you have room for a ‘Mister Lincoln’ rose?
In your vegetable garden, you could plant Lincoln leeks or Lincoln peas.
If you have a lot of space, you could plant Lincoln’s Tomb White Oak, an offspring of the actual white oak that grows near Lincoln’s tomb in Illinois.
Or you could just embed a Lincoln penny, heads up, in a stepping stone.
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We think of planting lilacs for Lincoln because of Walt Whitman's poem, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd.
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*Haphazard care: In this case, I left the lilac in a pot all summer, a pot that it might have overgrown. In the fall, I put it up by the house and hoped for the best. I checked it over the weekend and it is still alive so I’ll plant it out this spring.
Comments
So far I haven't planted anything to commemorate anything, unless you count planting my garden to celebrate buying my house...so I could plant a garden! ;D
I love that Whitman poem, and I especially love the story of your family's interaction with Lincoln--thanks for sharing it!
I have the Mr. Lincoln rose in my garden and always savour it's beautiful perfume and rich red color.
In 2003 we planted a conifer in memory of my dear MIL.
Or. I could follow my mother's example and grow a 'Mr. Lincoln' rose. Maybe she was drawn to it because my dad was born in the Land of Lincoln.
When my mother died, many of my online friends chipped in and sent me a beautiful living memorial--a white "redbud" tree--to plant in my yard. I've since added some of her ashes to the ground underneath the tree, so it truly is a sentimental, special tree, now. Every spring when it blooms, she seems less far away...
I should clarify that the lilac pictured on the post is NOT a 'President Lincoln', it's just a picture of lilac blooms I had on file. I hope that wasn't too confusing.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
I have many plants in my garden planted this way. All personal moments but I have one recurring theme with the anniversary of the loss of my son. Some years it has been a shrub in flower at that time, others some bulbs or a perennial that will flower later in the year. I don't get too sentimental over the plants as it is as much about the moment of planting. This year will be the 20th Anniversary.
I hope you enjoyed your day celebrating Lincoln's 200th Birthday. I dedicated a small video of Jellyfish to Darwin :-;
Susie