My definition of a garden friend is someone who happily shares their garden knowledge and passion with you.

Moonlight Caladiums pop against dark green foliage.

Earlier this week, I took a break from my piles of paper for a walk around the garden center. I was reminded it’s caladium time when I walked in the greenhouse and saw boxes of caladium bulbs, front and center. I love the Moonlight Caladium; it’s almost all white and contrasts beautifully with dark green foliage in the shade.

Whitney, a great Garden Friend!

Whitney (she works with us at Gill’s) walked over and I mentioned wanting some caladium bulbs for my garden. She said, “We have some bags right here to put them in… and Sally, you know what I do with my caladium bulbs? If I’m putting them in a clay pot, I bury them in the potting soil and then roll the pot out into full sun. The sunlight and moist soil speeds up the caladium bulb sprouting. Then, as soon as they poke out of the soil, I roll the pot into more shade, where the caladium likes to be as the days get longer and warmer.”  

James’ mom, Bayne, always inspired us with her passion for plants.

Pot of caladium bulbs in the bright sun!

My first thought was, “I am so glad to be reminded of that caladium trick,” and my second thought was, “I’m so glad Whitney works at Gill’s.” First and foremost, when we hire at Gill’s, we look for nice people. If they have a passion for plants, that’s a bonus!  Not only does Whitney know about plants, but she shares her plant knowledge in such a way that doesn’t make you feel stupid for not knowing more.

And then, I started thinking about my mother-in-law. Bayne, aka Ruth Gill, is the person who most influenced James’ and my passion for plants. She loved to tell stories of plants. She loved to have fun with plants, and she loved to watch insects and lizards and bees have fun with them too.  We miss her so much.

So, today, I am thankful for my garden friends, Whitney and Bayne – and yes, I do love caladiums, dancing in the Corpus Christi breeze.

– Sally