The Fairest of Them All

my favorite pelargonium

This is my favorite geranium/pelargonium. We don’t have it at home, so my in-laws gave us several cuttings. Unfortunately, all of them died except for two *sigh.* I don’t exactly have a green thumb and growing plants is a real challenge for me. But I still like doing it because it’s fulfilling --- having leaves sprout from a seed or a cutting, seeing it branch out and grow lush, witnessing a bud turn into a flower. Besides, plants don’t nag, whine or grumble when you neglect them. They just stay in their corner, silently waiting for you to give them some attention. They do “show” their displeasure by refusing to give flowers or having their leaves droop. But providing them with a good soil and adequate sunlight (a one time deal), and timely-given water and feed (not an everyday task), the return is a hundred-fold --- a myriad of flowers and fruits that can lighten up a dreary day. In fact, a single flower or fruit is enough to draw a smile from me. The satisfaction is immeasurable.


So I’m hoping that by next summer, I will have at least one flower from the remaining two cuttings we have of this particular pelargonium. I love the flowers’ delicate color and the subtle change from one shade of pink to another. They are soft on the eyes as they are to the touch. And it is a very interesting flower for it only has visible “veins” on the two upper big petals. They appear to be “eyes” with very long “eyelashes” artfully inviting people to discover their allure. And the stamens with their vivid-colored anthers are beckoning not only to the bees and butterflies but also to human contact. They must feel fuzzy and ticklish.

Well, in case I don’t have them by next summer, I will still continue trying to grow them. I find them to be the prettiest of all the pelargoniums I’ve seen so far, hence I believe they’re worth the effort. I just have to be patient and work more on my gardening skills *smiles.*