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If everything else is equal, you can even select a plant because of its name. To honor my minister father, whose name was Jack, I selected native Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) for its common name.

For my daughter, I’ve planted Tradescantia x andersoniana, ‘Sweet Kate,’ for the cultivar name (definitely not because of its icky common name — spiderwort).

Since my husband plays the electric guitar and loves classic rock, I picked a cultivar of Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans ‘Stairway to Heaven’). In the shade garden, I included something to remind me of my Star Wars-loving sons, Pulmonaria ‘Dark Vader.’

Now I need something special for my wonderful daughter-in-law and new grandson Jack. What will be the names of the next additions to my garden?

I had always thought my own name “Lela” was Arabic meaning “dark as night.” However, researching for this article, I found an alternative source and meaning. “Lela” is a female name in Georgia (in central Eurasia) meaning “comes from a plant.” How apropos!