My name is Duntessa Witsmore Stansfield. Today, I am in Swindon, where I have the pleasure of meeting Desmond Natley Tapperstine and his wife, Leah Rae Tapperstine.
So, Mr. and Mrs. Tapperstine you have created something wonderful here would you mind telling me and my reader about it?
Yes, of course, but first, what publication did you say you were from?
I am from the Monthly Musings of Flora.
To answer your question my wife and I have for many years owned a plant nursery and recently we decided to create a garden for ourselves, that we could tend to when we retire.
That sounds lovely. As I understand it, there is something quite unique about your plants.
Well, you could say that. Our plants can talk, and they are very different, wouldn’t you say, my dear? You are quite right, Desmond.
How so, Mrs. Tapperstine.
Please call me, Leah, and let me introduce you. Please follow me.
I would like you to meet Sarah, Astrid, Freya and Saga.
What kind of plants are they?
Sarah is a Begonia, Astrid is a cherry blossom, Freya is a Gardenia and Saga is an Angelonia.
I must say they are all gorgeous plants; will they talk to me or how does it work?
They will talk to you in exchange for reciting a bible verse and then you will have to take a short quiz plus a survey.
Astrid will share her current thoughts on the weather and tell you about her ailments and (she is happy to hear about yours), and she will ask you if she can borrow a hoodie. You see, we got her from inside an active volcano; she is not used to the cold, so Desmond puts her inside near the fireplace in the wintertime. She is a wonderful plant, kind, strong, smart, an avid fan of Pink Floyd and will regale you with riveting stories on how she used to be a koala in a past life. Astrid also has a best friend named Abigail, who is a Kingfisher. I always say to people who are afraid of having faith that they should go talk to Astrid because she is wonderful at reassuring them that it is going to be ok.
Sarah will interpret your dreams and remember your pin numbers; she likes all kinds of music especially Florence and the Machine. Her ability to make impressions is remarkable, and she teaches English to underprivileged children and impoverished cats.
Freya is an avid Coldplay fan, likes to read Jane Austen and is amazing at drawing stick figures.
Saga is a huge fan of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and true crime podcasts. She will try to convince you, that she is in fact a princess and if you only will kiss her, the spell will be lifted and she can return to her home world of Yorkshire.
Leah, your plants seem somewhat religious. Why is that?
I am a person of faith, and I enjoy talking to God whenever I am tending to the garden. It would seem that the plants have picked up on it,
Desmond, are you also a person of faith?
No, my heart only has room for Leah and the dogs, whereas Leah’s heart has room for everybody. Her kindness toward her fellow man never ceases to amaze me. That being said, we have had many conversations about faith, and those conversations I will always keep close to my heart.
Has this made your relationship challenging?
Initially, it was a tad difficult because she wanted to make sure that I really wanted to be in her life and accept her faith. Furthermore, our surroundings, for some reason, thought they had a say in our love for each other, but what really warmed my heart was that Leah´s fellow believers were very supportive. Although they did not agree, it was clear to them that I love her very much, and I also made it my point to help if the church needed any help; the most judgment actually came from my side of the family. They think anything faith-related is a cult.
Desmond, you mentioned that your plants are different.
My plants are called Derek, Keith, Gareth and Alfred
Derek is a Peace Lily and will respond to anything you say with Well, No Shit Sherlock, and tell you that what she said jokes.
Keith is a daffodil, and very much into weapons and knitting; he will make sure you understand how important it is to be one with your hand grenade and your knitting needles.
Gareth is an Amaryllis and will only talk about Bruce Springsteen and carrots.
Finally, Alfred is an Eucalyptus, likes to read how to loom for dummies and emphasize the importance of taking short walk on the beach.
I am curious to know where you got the plants from. You mentioned that Astrid was from an active volcano, but what about the others?
Desmond, I have a mate named Steven who works for the sanitation department. In his spare time, he is also a warlock from Mirath, a realm just outside Swindon. In this realm, all plants can talk, so Steven thought they would fit in our garden.
That is very nice of him. Thank you very much for talking with me.