Eudora Welty: Cultivating Stories in Soil and Ink

On This Day
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:

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April 13, 1909

On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a literary luminary whose words have blossomed like the most exquisite of garden flowers.

I speak, of course, of the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, Eudora Welty, whose pen has cultivated stories as rich and varied as the most meticulously tended plot.

Welty, a passionate gardener, drew inspiration from nature's verdant canvas, weaving references to over 150 different plants throughout her literary works.

Her garden writings, in particular, are a treasure trove of horticultural delight.

In her novel Losing Battles, Welty's botanical observations bloom on the page:

...as Lady May gazed at him, her eyes opened all the way like vinca flowers at midday...

One can almost see the delicate periwinkle petals unfurling in the warm sunlight, can't one?

In a 1972 interview with The Washington Post, Welty spoke of plant explorers venturing to Nepal and Sikkim, risking life and limb to introduce Alpine flowers to our gardens.

With characteristic wit, she remarked:

Now that's something - discovering new primroses - that's worth taking trouble with, worth risking something for.

Indeed, what gardener among us has not felt the thrill of discovering a new variety, the excitement of nurturing an unfamiliar bloom?

For those wishing to immerse themselves in Welty's world, her home and garden in Jackson, Mississippi, now offer guided tours and interpretive museum exhibits. The historic botanical garden, designed by Welty's mother, Chestina, in 1925, stands as a living testament to their shared passion.

Imagine, if you will, mother and daughter working side by side for two decades, their hands deep in the rich soil, their conversation punctuated by the snip of pruning shears and the rustle of leaves.

Today, this horticultural haven is tended by volunteers who have christened themselves "The Cereus Weeders" - a charming nod to one of Welty's favorite plants, the night-blooming cereus.

One can picture the enchanting soirées Welty would host from dusk till dawn, her guests gathered in hushed anticipation as the cereus slowly unfurled its ethereal petals.

It was Welty herself who drew the poignant parallel between her twin passions:

Gardening is akin to writing stories. No experience could have taught me more about grief or flowers, about achieving survival by going, your fingers in the ground, the limit of physical exhaustion.

What gardener has not felt the truth of these words, dear readers?

The ache of a failed crop, the triumph of a thriving bed, the bone-deep weariness and soul-deep satisfaction of a day spent tending to one's plot?

As we celebrate Eudora Welty's birth, let us take a moment to appreciate the beauty she has sown in both literature and horticulture.

Perhaps, in her honor, we might all plant a seed today - be it on paper or in soil - and watch with wonder as it grows.

Eudora Welty
Eudora Welty

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