Success!

Gardenias are among my favorite flowers (probably my most favorite). I've been obsessed with them ever since I visited relatives in California and they had bushes of them growing in their yard. I liked them so much, that my step-grandmother picked a few blooms and floated them in a bowl of water next to my bed for me. *sigh*

I have been *unsuccessfully* trying to cultivate gardenia plants since my sophomore year of college, when James sent one to me as a gift. It died, as did many of my trials shortly thereafter. I gave up for a while because I was completely discouraged by my lack of a green thumb. Then, one day a few years ago, I saw some at the grocery store. I bought one for me and one for my mom, and decided to give it another go. I had serious doubts, since the plant had come from a grocery store and would probably die in a week anyway, but kept at it diligently and the other day, I noticed a bud that had gotten to the point where it looked like it would bloom (they usually turn yellow and fall off or turn into more foliage). I brushed it off, naturally, so as not to jinx myself, but quietly (alright, maybe it was a high-pitched squeal) pointed it out to James. Honestly, I forgot about it completely until he pointed this out to me yesterday:

And this is what it looked like during Real Housewives of NJ that evening....
(btw.... ummm wow? did anyone else watch it? Greatest table flip everrrrrr!)

And this is what it looked like this morning before I left for work (and without proper focus, apparently)...



And you're probably getting sick of all of these pictures, so I'll stop here...

I'm so excited!!! I have been trying to encourage blooms for two years on this plant alone!! I had one other successful attempt my senior year of college, when the flower actually bloomed for me during graduation week... I was writing my thesis, at odds with one of my best friends :o( and was stressed to the max, so I feel like the plant actually sensed that I would probably drop kick it into the Stillwater River if it didn't bloom at that point... Anyway. I'm really excited about this, and although it may sound really cheese-ball and corny, I feel like it's a sign to start fresh... Lately, things in my personal life have been pretty craptastic. I hope this is a sign of good things to come. I already feel like I took a deep breath for the first time in months this morning, so I guess that's a start...