Unlikely flowers

Last week, the unlikeliest little pepper appeared in our random indoor garden and I’ve been beside myself with joy.

Oh, we’d wooed it as best we could — watered it when we remembered, raised the curtains to let in sunshine (when there was sunshine to be had), added a little Miracle Grow potting soil.

Still, I had little hope our pepper plants would bear fruit.

“How could they?” Molly pointed out. “When you don’t have any bees to pollinate them.”

Pepper plants have special meaning in our family, thanks to generous grandparents who named a club after them. But, I had never grown one, especially not inside.

A little friend of mine had chosen these particular seeds and we were tracking their growth together. I really wanted us to succeed.

So, I consulted with my loyal pal Google and we came up with a plan. When white flowers finally appeared on the pepper plants, I showed my friend how to pollinate them with a Q-tip.

I watched him gently handle those tiny flowers and I felt proud for both of us that we’d come that far.

Then, on Saturday, as I idly chatted on the phone with my son Charlie, I spied a little jalapeño and I jumped up from my seat.

“Holy cow! I see a pepper!” I shouted.

It was a miracle. All life is. But, I have a particular fondness for the unlikely flowers.

Here’s to sidewalk sunflowers and cement crack Scilla! Hooray for miner’s garlic (when should I harvest those bulbs?)! Woo hoo for wild trillium!

And here’s to our sweet little pepper plant. Thanks for hanging around.