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AHHHHH...........GARDENIAS........AND MEMORIES..




I don't think any flower on the planet gives your nose an AEROBIC workout like the gardenia.


When we planned our landscape many years ago...I indicated that I wanted fragrance in my courtyard....so I HAVE FRAGRANCE!!LOL

Every year at this time this little bush puts out flowers by the boatload and I cut blossoms and bring them in.

My house smells heavenly!!

I have little vases all over the house..
and each time I come in their aroma takes me back in time to a sweet high school memory.


I sort of faded into the woodwork in high school...you know...bad skin, hair that was never the way I wanted and really average clothes.  I knew that I would not make it with my looks so I relied on humor to get me through.  It worked for getting friends....BUT NOT DATES!!

Fast forward to the SweetHeart Dance...you know...girl asks boy.  I had a crush on a Senior, Dwight Farley....I was a lowly freshman...and to make matters worse...he has a beautiful girlfriend...altho....at the time they were broken up.  I asked....he accepted!!

I was in heaven...only real dance I ever attended in high school...no...never went to the prom...so this one has stayed with me forever.  My corsage.....you guessed it GARDENIAS.  He asked me what I wanted and I told him..GARDENIAS...  Wore a hand me down dress as I recall...one my mother wore and made over for me...but I didn't care...I felt special and very pretty at the time.

SO EACH TIME I SMELL THAT DELICIOUS FRAGRANCE IT TAKES ME BACK IN TIME TO THIS SPECIAL SWEET MEMORY and the wonderful young boy I spent the evening with dancing away.
Don't know where he is now..probably married that high school sweetheart of his!!..

But....if you are out there Dwight....thanks again for a wonderful
 evening!

Hugs,

Jo
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Comments

  1. mxtodis123May 4, 2011 at 12:30 PM

    Isn't it something the way something like the scent of a flower can trigger memories? I'm finding that happening more and more lately.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  2. Debra She Who SeeksMay 4, 2011 at 12:42 PM

    What a lovely memory!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cheryl ~ ZanyMaydMay 4, 2011 at 12:48 PM

    What a Sweet Post, I see why Gardenia's have that Special Memory for You... For Me, I think they are Beautiful, but they don't Love Me, The Only Flower that I seem to be allergic to, something about the scent makes me so ill~ years ago when I was working in a Floral shop, we had an entire Funeral Order where all the arrangements including the blanket were created with Gardenias, needless to say, I spent almost the entire day In The Cooler!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 12:49 PM

    So that's what they are! I wondered what they were. Our neighbor has some in her yard and I took some great shots of them last Spring. They were so pretty...Thank you for sharing with us...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise)May 4, 2011 at 1:00 PM

    What fond memories ya have of the sweet scent of Gardenias. They say that scents are our strongest recall factor but we rarely use them when we teach. Go figure.

    Your pictures are just beautiful of the aromatic bloomer.

    God bless ya and have a marvelous day sweetie!!! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's Just DottieMay 4, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    Sweet memories of another time in
    kinder world . All of my corsages were gardenias. At this moment my garden is filled with their fragrance.
    Just heavenly in the moonlight.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 3:06 PM

    Such a beautiful memory to carry and hold close for all time. I love gardenias as well. SO enchanting!

    ReplyDelete
  8. PamelaMay 4, 2011 at 5:36 PM

    What a great story and memory! He sounds like he was a great guy!!!!

    Pamela xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 8:11 PM

    Such a well written post with beautiful pictures of gardenias! Amazing how our scent brings us back in time and how we keep a part of the past with us always. I had a second slice of cake just for you. :)

    Happy Mothers Day,
    Hugs Rosemary...XX

    ReplyDelete
  10. Angelsdoor * PennyMay 4, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    Beautiful story Jo. The sense of smell brings back memories more than any other.. Wishing you a wonderful week.
    Blessings,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
  11. Auntie sezzzzzz...May 5, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    Totally precious memory... Thank you so much, for sharing it with us.

    Love it!

    Gentle hugs,
    ~♥~

    ReplyDelete
  12. Deb LacativaMarch 18, 2012 at 1:35 PM

    I bought a gardenia bush in the grocery last week and potted it out on the deck. here it is warm enough that people plant then as hedgerows but I wanted one for my outdoor studio. today, I saw that it is covered with buds getting ready to open..

    ReplyDelete

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