My 88 year old French neighbor, Natalie, invited me over to watch her night cactus bloom--she is an avid gardener, and sounds just like Julia Child--I had no idea what she was talking about--- we had "socialized" together a few times, having peach bellinis on the beach in front of her house, and picking daffodils in her yard ( we are NEW BFF-- she lives down the block from Joe's father's house--Joe inherited the house)--anyway, she wanted me to come over after dark as they only bloom one time, at night, and they only last the one night, and they were ready to go that night-- so I grabbed a pitcher of bellinis, a plate of apricot/brie tarts, my camera and ran over there-- she had 7 giant pots on her patio (about 6 feet tall) dripping with blossom pods--2 lanterns with candles, chairs, champagne in buckets, and glasses-- I grabbed a chair and pulled it up in front of the plant- I felt like Chevy Chase at the Grand Canyon-- I sat there staring at it, wondering what it was going to do--
Use your best Julia Child impression here--
"Ohhhhh, look at them!!! Aren't they MAG---NIFICENT???? " she beamed
I looked, but they just looked like a bunch of saggy flowers to me--like flowers that have been out of water--I poured myself a bellini--figured I'd get liquered up for this adventure--
I leaned onto my knees and looked closer --just then, a couple appeared on the scene-- I jumped up and poured them a drink--- they brought a plate of brownies. Now all 4 of us are bent over in our chairs staring at the plants--- man, this is like watching paint dry--
"Oh, Natalie", they exclaimed, "they are blooming so early this year aren't they?''
WHAT??? these people have done this before????? HUH?????
It's getting darker. . .
Just then, another lady appears around the corner of the patio--- she's holding a giant bouquet of hydrangeas that she presents to our hostess-- She has an enormous camera--- guess she' s gonna capture the magic?
I pour her a drink and we all gather round the blossoms, ohhhing and ahhhhhing---yes they do look BIGGER?? ohhh they ARE so fragrant!
Natalie insisits that we stick our snouts inside the now half opened blooms and sniff--I'm thinking Little shop of Horrors here---is this thing gonna bite?? It's getting really really dark now, so we get a flashlite and shine it on the blooms, just as ANOTHER lady shows up with her giant camera--gee whillickers-- this is turning into quite the get together!
getting darker. . .
I'm still slurpin down bellinis as are all the other people-- We're all trying to capture the flowers on camera--why I don't know-- they only show up as white blobs. Natalie is SO excited she cannot stand it! and she is so disappointed that more people couldn't come-- I am amazed that this many people actually came!!!
We are all sitting and staring and photographing and ohhhhhhing and ahhhhing and staring and sitting and sniffing, and staring, and staring and staring AT PLANTS IN THE PITCH DARK
I start GULPING down the drinks now--
the people are all clucking about how they are magnificent and that there is feathery stuff inside and now Natalie grabs her clippers and starts clipping off the blooms to give to us to take home-- even tho they have NO chance of surviving--One by one, the people get up to leave, sighing as tho satisfied by a big ole lobster dinner--
I'm not sure what I was watching--- as they opened fully, they looked like peonies--it was quite the adventure-when I told my daughter, she said there was a scene in the Dennis the Menace movie where Mr. Wilson invited the Garden Club over to watch his flower bloom at night--- she thought it was made up for the movie--- Believe me---it was NOT--- this apparently is quite the social event
Use your best Julia Child impression here--
"Ohhhhh, look at them!!! Aren't they MAG---NIFICENT???? " she beamed
I looked, but they just looked like a bunch of saggy flowers to me--like flowers that have been out of water--I poured myself a bellini--figured I'd get liquered up for this adventure--
I leaned onto my knees and looked closer --just then, a couple appeared on the scene-- I jumped up and poured them a drink--- they brought a plate of brownies. Now all 4 of us are bent over in our chairs staring at the plants--- man, this is like watching paint dry--
"Oh, Natalie", they exclaimed, "they are blooming so early this year aren't they?''
WHAT??? these people have done this before????? HUH?????
It's getting darker. . .
Just then, another lady appears around the corner of the patio--- she's holding a giant bouquet of hydrangeas that she presents to our hostess-- She has an enormous camera--- guess she' s gonna capture the magic?
I pour her a drink and we all gather round the blossoms, ohhhing and ahhhhhing---yes they do look BIGGER?? ohhh they ARE so fragrant!
Natalie insisits that we stick our snouts inside the now half opened blooms and sniff--I'm thinking Little shop of Horrors here---is this thing gonna bite?? It's getting really really dark now, so we get a flashlite and shine it on the blooms, just as ANOTHER lady shows up with her giant camera--gee whillickers-- this is turning into quite the get together!
getting darker. . .
I'm still slurpin down bellinis as are all the other people-- We're all trying to capture the flowers on camera--why I don't know-- they only show up as white blobs. Natalie is SO excited she cannot stand it! and she is so disappointed that more people couldn't come-- I am amazed that this many people actually came!!!
We are all sitting and staring and photographing and ohhhhhhing and ahhhhing and staring and sitting and sniffing, and staring, and staring and staring AT PLANTS IN THE PITCH DARK
I start GULPING down the drinks now--
the people are all clucking about how they are magnificent and that there is feathery stuff inside and now Natalie grabs her clippers and starts clipping off the blooms to give to us to take home-- even tho they have NO chance of surviving--One by one, the people get up to leave, sighing as tho satisfied by a big ole lobster dinner--
I'm not sure what I was watching--- as they opened fully, they looked like peonies--it was quite the adventure-when I told my daughter, she said there was a scene in the Dennis the Menace movie where Mr. Wilson invited the Garden Club over to watch his flower bloom at night--- she thought it was made up for the movie--- Believe me---it was NOT--- this apparently is quite the social event
