Life Lessons from a Homesick Daisy

A month ago, this pot contained frost bitten, brown, dead leaves; the fading echo of a summer impulse buy.  I bought this Gerbera Daisy in June, from the "Plant Orphanage"; which is a rack full of mistreated, forgotten and rejected plants at a home improvement store. (Or plants that had gone through bloom cycle and were otherwise viewed as undesirable.)  

​The little daisy was waning in health when I brought it home, but sun and regular care encouraged a new, youthful, fullness.  It was my habit all summer to pry through her lush leaves and look for buds, which this rescue plant blessed us with many.  However, seasons change in the Northeast and our sweet daisy is a Southern Belle, to be grasped only by hands of memory come winter.  We recently had a warm snap, only a brief three days, but it was enough to encourage a tiny, bud of potential floral magic. I brought her into the house, removed all the dead leaves and waited, patiently, hoping.  Her late season display was the most striking of all her summertime glory, we were honored by an incredible bloom.

Let this darling daisy prove that your value is not determined by your bloom cycle, or failure to thrive.  This plant didn't choose to be put in a short term, and ill fated relationship with our Northeastern gardens.  It cannot take itself to where it truly belongs.  If you cannot adapt, and thrive where you are, pull up your emotional roots and plant them in more fertile soil and warmer surroundings because there's a brighter you waiting to grow.  Your first bloom cycle, followed by waning foliage, does not measure the performance of your spirit in future bloom cycles; there are many more to come.