Flowers or vegetables ?

There is a flower show cum sale going on in town and wifey was very keen that we should visit and buy some flowering plants for our terrace garden.

Me: “But what about all the flowers that you already have on the terrace?”

Wifey: “Oh they all look so dull now, look at our Anthurium it’s a very pale pink, I want one in blood red colour”

Me: “Look at the corner of our terrace, you can see some red flowers”

Wifey : “They are some plain poinsettias and they are seasonal, so after some months those leaves loose their colour”

Me : “What about those tiny red  buds next to the pointsettia?”

Wifey: “Its poinsettias not pointsettia. And those are not buds, they are red chilies. Keep away from them, they may look small, but they are real hot and pungent”

Me : “And what are these green leaves?”

Wifey: “These are palak (spinach) one of the healthiest vegetables. 100 gms of farm fresh leaves contain 47% of the daily requirement of vitamin C, apart from minerals like potassium manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc”

Me: “All these in this green leaf?”

Wifey: “Remember Popeye the sailor and his appetite for Spinach. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids”

Me: “So much for Spinach. What is that wrinkled fruit hanging there?”

Wifey: ”That is Karela (bitter gourd) and it is a vegetable not a fruit"

Me: “Oh yes I know bitter gourd juice, once my mother tried to make me drink it and I just vanished from the scene only to return at sunset”

Wifey: “Best home remedy for Diabetics, Liver problem and Arthritis”

Me: ”Hey I know this one . . . .  its Pudina right? We use it for garnishing pork roast”

Wifey: “You only think of pork roast and pork chops. Do you know Pudina (Mint) is part of Greek mythology and according to legend - "Menthe" originally a nymph, and Pluto's lover angered Pluto's wife, Persephone, who in a fit of rage turned Minthe into a lowly plant, to be trod upon. Pluto, unable to undo the spell, was able to soften it by giving Minthe a sweet scent, which would perfume the air when her leaves were stepped on - thus aromatic herb Mint”

Me: “My my all these leaves and so many stories”

Wifey: “Yes and here is another good one for health – Celery

The organic alkaline minerals in celery juice has a calming effect on the nervous system, making it a wonderful drink for insomniacs. It is also said that the diuretic effect of celery juice also aids the breaking and elimination of urinary and gall bladder stones”

By now I was sure that she would forget all about flowers and the flower show when she blurted out “ but look at these flowers, they don’t look appealing any more. I think we should replace them with the fresh new flowers that we are going to buy”

Me: "This is a lovely flower, isn't this supposed to be in paradise, I mean the bird that comes to paradise?"

Wifey: "This is not the birds of paradise that you are thinking of.  Remember we saw it outside the hotel we stayed in Cochin last year. I got a  sapling from there and it flowered almost after an year" 
Me : “Quickly, tell me, what is this?”

Wifey: “Oh this is  Geranium”

Me : and this ?

Wifey: "Capsicum"

Me: "and this ?"

Wifey: "that's Asther"
Me : "And look at these tomatoes, today they are green but soon they will turn bright red and you will have more red in the garden"

Me: “I like that bhopla (pumpkin) creeper going up. So you see we have got such a nice and healthy kitchen garden. Why do you want to replace them with some funny looking flowers and…….”

Wifey: “We will not replace them, we will buy more pots and then we will have more greenery. Don’t you like to look at the birds and the bees?”

Me: “But we already have the birds visiting us in the mornings”

Me : “and as for the bees I did get a good close up of one while he was busy working on a flower”

Wifey: “See I told you. So now you are convinced that more flowers bring in more birds and bees. That brings us to the topic of the flower show. Shall we go this evening?”