It was Geraldine’s big moment: C. Daisy Grow, Colonial Central’s head landscaper, was coming to Bloomberry Manor to see the garden. Her friend (and rival) Haley Trebecht heard a rumor that Grow was looking for an apprentice to replace her so she could spend more time with her 13 grandchildren. Three-year-old Sylvia was immaculate in her frilly white dress and Henrietta was on her third outfit of the day, which was somehow still clean.
Mrs. Grow was both impressed and intimidated by Geraldine Bloomberry’s gardening skills. Prior to her appointment as head gardener at Colonial Central, she’d lived in Flamingo Springs and knew that the family Geraldine married into had not been gardeners. In fact, the entire property was overrun with stinkpus bushes, shrieking shortia, and even windervines. As a girl, her parents had cautioned her to stay away from the Bloomberry’s yard.
As a teenager, Geraldine felt certain she could stay far away from the Bloomberry’s yard, but she found she couldn’t stay away from the glowering Chad Bloomberry who lived there. Growing up in the chaos of the Bloomberry residence, Chad was instantly attracted to the perfectionistic young Geraldine.
As she started dating the strapping young Chad, she couldn’t ignore the blighted property he lived on. She attacked it with determination and skill. The yard fought back with a vengeance, but little by little, it yielded to Geraldine’s efforts.
When Mrs. Grow appeared on her front doorstep, Geraldine sensed a kindred spirit and mentor. She’d learned so much about magical gardening that she became frustrated when there were very few who could teach her. Surely, the head gardener for Colonial Central could unlock even greater gardening mysteries.
One-year-old Henrietta followed Geraldine to the door, curious about the guest. Geraldine felt her jaw tighten in anxiety as Mrs. Grow crouched down to shake Hen’s hand. Hen dutifully extended her hand, playing along. But when Mrs. Grow opened her palm, she was greeted with a slap in the face from young Hen, who immediately started giggling in delight.
“Why I never-” Mrs. Grow started, only to get slapped by the toddler once again, this time on the other cheek.
“Henrietta!” Geraldine cried.
The “interview” went downhill from there. Mrs. Grow ended up deciding that she didn’t really want to spend more time with her grandchildren after all.
Hen would later consider this her earliest prank (although her knack for aiming spit-ups at faces could be considered a much earlier example). Geraldine didn’t blame Hen precisely, but she wondered what would have happened if she’d asked Chad to run errands with her youngest daughter. She and Hen would continue to butt heads throughout the latter’s childhood.