Backstory: My grandparents passed on some time ago. Grandad's fave flower was carnations, Grandma was known for her amazing garden (among other things), and they were central pillars of their small farming town. Most memorial days, I manage to get over to the little rural cemetery where I leave a small potted white carnation and a tomato plant on their graves. Grandma was practical - she wouldn't want be to waste money on cut flowers, lol... I always assumed the little tomato start probably sat there and eventually dried out and was thrown away. Today: I had a reason to call up my aunt on that side of the family - an unusual thing, as we don't really talk that often... and she mentioned making a bouquet to take to a memorial that week. I mentioned leaving the carnation and tomato. She almost screamed into the phone - THAT WAS YOU???! 0.o Then she went on to tell me how for years in this small town they've been trying to figure out who leaves the tomato. Seems the groundskeep takes it home each year and plants it in his garden. She found out when she took it home herself one year and he told her at church "Someone took my tomato plant!" X-D The years I hadn't made it out there they'd thought someone else must have taken it first. She said there were several theories, including a great story in which someone used to sneak into Grandma's garden and steal her tomatoes so they were leaving it as a sort of penance or guilt offering. Last year someone named Jesse died, so when I didn't get out there this year the rumor mill was that "It must have been Jesse! There's no tomato this year." Of course this means I better be darn sure to get that tomato start out there each Memorial Day now, lol... That old groundskeep needs his veggies. Hee.... Good thing is she also wondered "What did you do to it? It grew just great and came in early and the tomatoes were so tasty." What did I do? I, uh...left it in a cemetery. *snirt*
The stuff legends are made of! I hope your aunt won't tell anybody that it's you leaving the tomato. And please keep on doing it, I think it's a lovely tradition. I'm sure your grandparents would be ever so pleased with how the story turned out.
What a great story Prim. I really do hope your aunt keeps the secret of who leaves the tomato plants as it would be sad if the 'legend' died out after all these years. Sooooooo if I want THE best tasting tomatoes I'll nip along and plant some in the churchyard - best fertilizer ever!!!
That is one of the best stories that I have ever heard. It's just fantastic how it went. Thanks for this good one!
I think your grandma was making sure her plant went to the right person, so it would not go to waste. Cool story. There is a similar story about Edgar Allan Poe's grave. Here is a link http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293413,00.html
