Yes, Bianca is a tree. What kind of tree you ask? We don’t really know but she comes to our home with an interesting past.
Our backyard is a canvas of natural art curated and crafted by my husband. He “sees” how things will look long before they are planted and has been adding tropicals to the mix over the last few years.
We do live at the Jersey Shore and tropicals don’t like the winters here. So of course, they are gathered up every fall and are carted off to a tropical tree spa (better known as a greenhouse) where they winter in warmth.
Our trees are not alone at the spa located at Pattersons Greenhouses in Freehold, there are many others that join them. The loving caretakers at Pattersons ensure our trees are well-pruned and primed before coming home for another summer.
This year, there was a beautiful tree that was not claimed as usual by its owner. The Pattersons inquired as to why and were told the owner, unfortunately, became ill and would not be able to take the tree home anymore. He suggested that perhaps the time had come for his tree to be sold.
That’s not how it works with the Pattersons however. They would find another good and loving home for this tree.
Enter my husband…
He saw the beauty and asked Alan Patterson if he could buy it. Alan and his sister Sharon knew this tree would be loved at our home and offered it as a gift. The history of our new tree is that she came to this country from Italy, smuggled in a seed pod and grown in a pot.
Before letting her go, Sharon wanted to give this special tree a name. She chose “Bianca” which is a beautiful name for a beautiful tree! It also happened that our beautiful niece was staying with us that very day and her name is Bianca too. Some things are just meant to be.
Welcome to your new home Bianca, we hope to grow old alongside you and the other tropicals who make our garden a magical place.