On the never never



It's mother's day next week. Here I am, old mom. One of the nice things about getting older is that your list of things you cannot imagine ever liking gets shorter. There was a time when I didn't like — at all — black olives (declared at age 3), the Rolling Stones (declared at age 11ish) or Westerns (didn't need to declare, because, obviously). The problem was that my first black olives were tinned, I got hold of the wrong end of the Rolling Stones on that Steel Wheels tour and, I don't know what to say about Westerns, they just seemed not interesting. I never would have imagined an amazing kalamata studded bread, or Emotional Rescue or Deadwood — luckily I wrinkled up a little bit and stumbled upon these things in the course of life.

However, I do have a list of things that I am very sure I will never, not ever like, and geraniums were on that list until last week. I had always thought of geraniums as good in theory: they have deep forest green foliage with bright neon flowers, but it's the wrong green and the wrong pink when you meet them. They smell like a plant, but not in a good way like tomato plants or grass. They have hairy leaves. Honestly, I felt pretty indignant that they were cluttering up the place when there are perfectly good poppies and ranunculus in need of a good home.

Anyway, of course immediately after posting that I don't like them, I found two beautiful geraniums. I am won over. (Oh, the lady at the plant store said she pinches off the flowers — she doesn't like them either. So, I did, and then I found they are pretty by themselves.)

Crystal Palace Geranium






Vancouver Centennial Geranium




By the way, a plant is a very good mother's day gift, don't you think?

9 comments:

  1. I miss David Hunter being in the city, it was a favourite spot to look at plants. Have you been to the surrey location? Maybe I need to make a roadtrip out there. The Geraniums look really nice too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hiya, it is back! It has moved to Broadway near MacDonald. That's where I found these!

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Vancouver Centennial Geranium" ! Is that what they are called! They are lovely. (Even when their little flowers bust out - but thats just my opinion! xoxxox.

    Thanks for the name!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vancouver Centennial Geranium. I like the flowers too, they are sprawly and little, not like the regular geranium flowers — much better than I was expecting. They really last in bud vase, too.

      Delete
  4. ps I am ALL about Gardenworks. LOVE Gardenworks. I don't drive, but I actually take the skytrain out there (lougheed location) all the time. Load up the stroller with plant-babies. There is a yummy sushi place right there, (at at Holdom Station) It is called Sushimoto and I recommend it - Addie loves their mango rolls. I also can hit up Windsor Plywood at the same time. A good trek!

    http://www.gardenworks.ca/
    http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1540609/restaurant/Vancouver/Burnaby-North/Sushimoto-Burnaby

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too. They are great! Thatss where auggie's lucky day plant (sorrel shamrock) came from. I have never tried sushimoto — thanks for the tip ^_^

      Delete
    2. Garden works sounds great!! (Hi Sharilyn! Maybe we should all go berry picking this year... )

      Delete
  5. yes let's do a berry picking date for sure. I was planning on heading back up to Burnaby Mountain when the red huckleberries are back, but I always saw lots of red huckleberries in and around Stanley Park too. They are little but fantastic and are especially good in pancakes - then you don't need so many. But I was hoping somehow to pick enough to make some jellies. etc.

    http://www.learntopreserve.com/whats-cooking-in-my-kitchen/2011/7/26/red-huckleberries-the-caviar-of-the-jam-world.html

    (LORI so nice to run into you once again!)

    ReplyDelete