My gardenia is telling me… nothing. It’s fine. It didn’t need me while I was gone. No water, no auspicious yellow leaves, nothing. Meanwhile, I spent the entire time in New Orleans with my eyes peeled for that bright white fragrant flower. See, unlike Seattle where we’re trying so hard to work against the natural inclinations of the gardenia to die a quick, horrible death, the gardenias in the south live! Thrive even! So when I had read that to keep my gardenia alive all I need to do was to ship it southward, I decided to see if it was indeed true in the wilds of NOLA. Day after day of miles trudging around the urban landscape, I saw nothing. And then, on my final day, eyes hazy from frozen margaritas, I spotted it.
There was a gardenia. And not a small one – a big vibrant bush. And I was in luck, it was blooming. Whether it was the alcohol or the most amazing fragrance from the flowers, my head was light and I was giddy. This is what I was working for. Sure, my gardenia will take a thousand times more work and be half as large (when in nola apparently they just hang out not needing any extra attention whatsoever), but it will be worth it. And if all else fails, there’s always moving to the south.