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Flowers by any other name by James G. Fabiano This is one of my favorite times of year but, then again, living on the Maine Coast, every time of year is my favorite. Spring specifically means a time when one works in their garden and in their yards. This is the time of year when I work to make my house as colorful as possible. To do this I must travel to one of my favorite nurseries to buy the flowers that will adorn my home. I tried to leave, as early in the morning as I could, because I knew that everyone would want to do his or her planting during one of our few sunny days of the spring. A wonderfully pleasant woman who was working in one of the "hot-houses" met me: I wonder if they have to pass some sort of a 'nice' test in order to become a clerk at a nursery. On this particular occasion this person was not only pleasant but also extremely informative. The first question I asked her was where I could find the geraniums. These are a favorite of my wife and I had intended to buy many. She then asked me a question that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. "What type are you interested in?" My mind flashed back a question: "There are types?" Seeing the perplexed expression on my face, the clerk thought it best to explain. She told me that there were many types of geraniums. There are the Pelargonium peltatum that are of the ivy-leafed variety. Their flowers are generally less strident and more toned to the pastel range of their hues. At that point I think I felt my mouth starting to open. The clerk continued by stating that there was also the Pelargonium donesticum variety that needs mild weather and sunny days to perform their best. They perform? She continued by stating that this variety of species has distinctly fragrant leaves when the surface is rubbed. The Pelargonium crispum has lemon-scented leaves; the Pelargonium grossulariodes is coconut-scented, while the Pelargonium nervosum has the fragrance of lime. I was beginning to feel like I had just arrived at the grocery store. I was also beginning to wonder why anyone would want to rub a leaf? At this point I knew that I could not stop her from educating me about the realities of the Pelargonium genus. She continued by telling me that there is also the Pelargonium x hortorum. I wonder what the x is for? I was told that these geraniums excel, and are ideal in full sun and moderate-to-rich, well-drained, moist soil. It is also important to incorporate a slow-release fertilizer into the soil, at planting time. Foolish me, I was always under the opinion that all one had to do was stick the plant in the ground and hope for the best! The only other care requirement is deadheading spent blooms. For the life of me I could not figure out how Jerry Garcia had anything to do with geraniums. She then just stopped and smiled: all I could do was stare. It felt like we stared and smiled at each other for over an hour until she broke the conversation by asking: "Can I help you with something else?" All I could think of was daisies. In my mind I could not think of a simpler or easier flower to work with. My mouth then connected with my mind and I asked her where the daisies were. She answered by asking me which ones! I then observed how her eyes started to glow and her mouth started to move. Past then I understood very little. She told me that one of her favorites was the Arctotis stoechadifolia because it originated in South Africa.The pearly-white flowers explode on bright sunny days and cool nights. She also told me that the Arctotis thrives in mild winter areas: I wonder if she forgot where she was. She also loved the Lonas inodora that also comes from Africa. Her description of this genus was that although lonas is a member of the daisy family, it does not look like a daisy. I couldn't help but ask her, why anyone would want to buy a daisy that did not look like a daisy. She stopped talking a second, gave me a glare that probably would have killed most of the flowers in the green house, and went off into her monologue. Of course, she stated, by waving her right hand into the air, there is also the charming little plant, with sunny flowers, called the Dyssodia tenuiloba. At first I though she was trying to slap me, for my ignorance about what I was trying to buy. This daisy will grow well in full sun and well-drained, moderately fertile soil; however, they will also grow and bloom abundantly in poor soil. Now this sounded like my kind of flower! Before she could continue with her explanations of daisies, which must have numbered well into the millions, I interrupted her by asking about marigolds. She smiled and proceeded to disillusion me about the concept, that anything that had to do with gardening could be simple. She talked about the Tagetes patula and the Tagetes errecta. Maybe this is where the x came in? I was happy to hear that these varieties were all-American plants that come in an array of bright colors and last over the whole season. In fact, she told me that these were the mainstay of gardeners everywhere. I think I started to smile when she eliminated that possibility, by stating that they are so numerous that most people find them boring. I could have used a little boredom right then. She then talked to me about the Calendula officinalis that bloom in all shades of white, gold, yellow, and orange: some even have flower petals tipped in contrasting colors. She told me that these are the stalwarts of the cool season garden and grow in all winter conditions from Zone 8 to 10. What the hell is a zone? I know it gets just as cold on the north side of my property as it does on the south side. For some strange reason she thought it was time to tell me about her favorite plant at the nursery: the Chinese Hibiscus better known as Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. And I thought she only enjoyed flowers from Africa! She told me that in nature they are shrubs that grow up to 15 feet tall. The flowers are flaring bells, with a distinctive column of yellow stamens in the center, that are red, yellow, pink, salmon, orange, or white. For the life of me I could not remember what a stamen was! I was impressed by how long this clerk worked with me, at the nursery, that day. She went on to explain how I should aerate all soil before I planted and that the soil should be loaded with only the best grade of manure. I just couldn't understand how there could be a grade of manure. The nursery was becoming crowded now and I did not want to take up any more of her time. She smiled and asked if she was helpful and, of course, I told her that she was invaluable. So much so, I hoped at the time that I never ran into her again! When I arrived home my wife asked me what took me so long, and where were the flowers? You see, the only thing I bought that day was a book entitled: "The Treasury of Gardening!"
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