Daily Newsie

I used to be a strange sort of proud about the fact that any plants under my care quickly wilted and died. My aunt proffered all sorts of shoots and seedlings, but each withered away, leaving me with an assortment of empty pots that I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with. I don’t know exactly what changed, but I am now the proud owner of two thriving plants, both of which have survived numerous transplants and cross-town moves. It’s the transplants that really get me — I actually removed plants from their pots and moved them to larger living quarters, and they didn’t die. In fact, they grew! Aunt Patti would be so proud.

A few weeks ago, The Fiance’ and I ventured to K-Mart for balcony furniture, and the rows upon rows of flowers lined up outside the store caught my fancy. As I debated among pansies, petunias and gardenias (which I don’t really like because they smell like dirt, but they remind me of my grandmother — not for that reason), I stumbled upon a small plant with little white flowers. It was a strawberry plant, and I immediately decided it would be mine. And now it is mine, and it’s growing little tiny strawberries just like its name suggests it would. I never realized that strawberries are actually the middle part of the flower, which obviously gets bigger and more strawberry-shaped as time goes by.

One berry is particularly large and beginning to take on a reddish tinge, and it’s ridiculous how eagerly I monitor its progress. “Did you see Strawberry?” I practically shout as The Fiance’ comes into the living room, and he laughs and nods because he humors me by keeping an eye on it as well. I’m constantly fussing with it, turning it to ensure even growth and making sure it’s always in the most sun-soaked corner of our little balcony. Once school is out and I have more time for such frivolous pursuits, I would love to turn the balcony into a flower garden full of tiny plants — I have my eye on a broccoli plant and a pepper plant, and possibly a tomato plant for my beloved. I like to watch things grow, it turns out, and each new shoot is cause for celebration.

It really is nice to be so easily amused.