Second Chances

  Sometimes, timing is everything.  When you miss an opportunity, it is gone...never to be seen again.  True, there may be other instances that you can "redo" an event but the one is over and cannot be repeated.  Take for example a bloom in the garden.  Two days ago, I noticed that the Night-blooming Cereus had a large bud.  I was excited, although I have seen the plant bloom many, many times.  There is just something about those fleeting blooms that only occur at night and for only one night that stirs the kettle of fantasy.  Well, things got a bit crazy with the poor, old dog being ill and the bud was forgotten.  It opened in all its glory with no one to view it.  It went unseen.  I missed it.  This morning, the bud was spent...wilted...gone.

  The Night-blooming Cereus is sort of a family tradition with me.  Back when my grandparents were still alive, the buds literally meant a party was to be planned.  The whole family would gather to watch the buds open into their dinner-plate size blooms.  It was great even though, as a toddler, I thought the goofy bud was rather poky at doing its thing.  It was not until later that I fully appreciated the beauty of the plant.  Granted I do not throw parties when mine blooms and granted I often forget (like last night) but the plants are still cherished.  In fact, there are nigh on a dozen of the plants being cared for in my collection....all from a start from my grandparents' huge cereus.  The cuttings are passed down generation to generation with explicit instructions on how to care for the plants.

  Night-blooming cereus plants are also called "Queen of the Night" which refers to their habit of only blooming after nightfall.  They are a type of cactus that grow long, pencil-thin shoots that flatten into "leaves".  It is on the second year growth that the buds will form from these flattened shoots.  Because they are night-bloomers, they are highly scented and are pollinated by moths and occasionally even bats.  It does not take much care to grow the plants other than an occasional watering and feeding.  They do, however, need to be protected from cold weather.  Anything below 35 degrees is not agreeable to them!  A greenhouse or large, bright window spot is a necessity!

  Then, this evening, another bud began to open! By 9pm, a happy bloom unfurled its petals and allowed me to partake of its beauty!  Thank you, Grandmother and Granddaddy for teaching me patience.  Sometimes, timing is everything.