Daisy and Clover’s Curious Adventures with Plants
There was a week in her 9th year where Daisy Bramwell’s parents traveled overseas to attend to some sort dull and dreary business. Daisy had no family in the city to watch her while her parents were away so arrangements were made for her to stay in the country with her uncle, famed botanist Linden Bramwell.
She packed her most precious belongings in a small suitcase. Daisy’s parents almost made her leave her poor pooch Clover behind. But Daisy crossed her arms firmly in front of her, frowned most impressively and refused to move or speak until her parents agreed to let Clover accompany her on her journey to the country. While her parents usually didn’t go for theatrics such as tantrums, the circumstances were such that her parents had no time to waste on debating, compromising and cajoling. Daisy was grateful for her canine friend as she imagined that the old manor in the middle of the country would have no children playmates for her.
When Daisy and Clover arrived, they could hear the country murmur of birds and brooks and breeze in the trees but no cheerful chatter of children bursting around the edges of those country sounds. She could tell she was quite right in her estimation of the manor being a lonely place for an intrepid and boisterous girl such as herself.
But Daisy and Clover were both not the sorts to be dredged down by disappointment and looked for adventures hiding in the edges of what may have seemed boring to others.
Uncle Linden spent his days studying and cataloging plants, giving little attention to Daisy and Clover, so the two decided to set out and explore the grounds.
Uncle Lindens enthusiasm for botanical delights was apparent in every corner of the manor as plants grew in abundance both outside and inside the manor.
On their first day, Sunday, it was raining so Daisy and Clover explored indoors. They found a sundrenched and plant-lined room. The room also housed a scattering of records and a record player. When Daisy put on the music, the plants seemed to start to shake and quiver ever so slightly. Daisy and Clover began to tap their toes and snap their fingers. The plants responded with gentle sways and swings. So Daisy and Clover began to spin and leap, twirl and twist, jump and shimmy. The plants all around them waved their leaves, coiled and uncoiled their fronds, jiggled their spikes, jangled their stems. That’s when Daisy and Clover knew, it was a dance party! Everyone let loose with joyful bursts of movement, kicking legs, swinging arms, jumping and bending and shaking and moving to the beat and rhythm of the music.
On Monday, Clover and Daisy ventured outside into the plant filled grounds of the manor. They found a lake down a trail from the manor. There were long reeds surrounding the lake and giant drifting lily pads floating on the lake. An idea sparked in Daisy’s mind! Clover and Daisy both constructed boats from the giant lily pads and raced across the lake. The wind billowed and pushed the sails forward. They skittered and glided across the gently rippling lake. The turtles and frogs and fish cheered them on.
On Tuesday it was time to explore further, to the less manicured lands of the manor grounds. They discovered a valley full of beautiful wildflowers. Clover and Daisy sat down among the flowers. Then they felt movement beneath them as the ground wiggled and jolted and they were lifted into the air. The field of wildflowers was really a wildflower creature! The creature bent her head toward the small dog and small person and blinked its big, kind eye at them. It then slowly started to lumber through the hills and valley. Daisy and Clover got the most glorious tour of the landscape atop the wildflower creatures back.
On Wednesday, Clover and Daisy went to explore a sunflower field that they had spotted the previous day while riding the wildflower creatures back. The field stretched out in front of them, full of bright cheerful sunflowers bobbing their petaled heads. How wonderful it seemed to be a sunflower! Daisy and Clover decided it was high time they try the life of a flower. They created sunflower costumes and together stood very still in the field of sunflowers. They felt all the things sunflowers feel. The sunshine, the breeze, butterflies landing on their noses, crows pecking for fallen seeds at their feet. It made them feel at one with the field and at one with the world and so small and so large all at once.
On Thursday, they climbed a bluff to look at the valley below. The wind was strong that day and whipped all around them, plucking leaves from trees and petals from flowers. But as they watched the sky speckled with bits and pieces of plants, a creature seemed to form right in front of them. It was a wind creature turned visible with the leaves and the petals! The creature slithered through the sky past Daisy and Clover before bursting apart as the leaves and petals blew in different directions and landed scattered onto the ground.
On Friday, Clover was starting to miss her dog friends from the city. Daisy was inspired to help her friend ease her loneliness! She found a couple of shaggy looking shrubs and constructed them into the images of all of Clover’s favorite friends. Clover didn’t feel so lonely when she saw Maribelle, Frances and BoBo in plant version right there for her. Clover said the dog bushes, “Woof woof, bark!” which translates roughly as “Hello!”
On Saturday, the last they at the manor, it was raining again. So Daisy and Clover headed inside again to mingle with the indoor plants. They went into the manor’s grand library and collected books to read together. From there, they went into a room with big windows and a cozy atmosphere where they could watch the rain fall while reading stories. Daisy began reading stories aloud. The two long viny plants nearby began to twitch as she read. The more words she said, the more they twitched. Clover watched as the plants twirled into the air and began creating pictures to go along with the stories Daisy read. It was a reading experience like no other!
The next day it was Sunday again and Daisy’s parents came to the manor to collect Daisy and Astrid. Her uncle hobbled from his botanical laboratory with a confused look on his face. He had practically forgot his young guest was even staying with him! “Thank you uncle!” Daisy said, “Clover and I made friends with all the plants and we can’t wait to come back and see them again!” Daisy’s parents seemed befuddled by the odd remark, but old plant loving Uncle Lindon gave a knowing half smile.