Seed Spotlight: Princess Cauliflower

Even though Caldin’s ten now, he still don’t talk much–that is, he talks a lot, but the words don’t really come out right. Like, when he says “Maren,” it sounds more like “An-in.” Mama says it’s probably ‘cause he was born too early. 

At any rate, he likes helpin’ me plant seeds–likes it even better’n helpin’ his older brother drive cattle. Probably that’s ‘cause I tell him stories.

The other day I went next door and picked him up so he could come help me plant cauliflower seeds. I knew just what was comin’ too. We had barely got the picks and trowels outta the shed ‘fore Caldin says, “An-in, ell ‘gower gury.”

“Tell you a cauliflower story?” I handed him a small trowel. “Maybe in a bit. First though, remember how to do this? Ya gotta get down on your knees, dig into the sand, and mix it up real good with the compost, see?” 

He always needs reminders, but he’s great at mimickin’ when I show him how to do it.

“Okay,” I said a moment later, gently takin’ back the trowel, “here’s some seeds for ya. Sprinkle ‘em real careful over that dirt ya just dug, like this–we don’t want ‘em too close together. Oops, too many seeds in one place! That’s all right–we’ll just thin ‘em out once the plants start growin’. Okay, now press ‘em into the dirt, like this, and sprinkle some compost over ‘em.”

“Ell ‘gower gury!” he said again, pattin’ the seeds in. 

I chuckled, pourin’ some water from a large waterin’ can into a smaller one for him. “Okay, Cal–I’ll tell ya a cauliflower story. Let’s see… cauliflower… flower… aha! Did I ever tell ya about the Princess Cauliflower who thought she was a flower?” 

“In-ess ‘gower!” he said, tapping the brim of my hat to knock it down over my eyes. 

“Silly boy! Here, pour this water over the seeds, like this. The Princess Cauliflower,” I began, “lived in a desert world much like this one. But, ya see, she wasn’t really made for the desert, not like cactus or mesquite or sagebrush–no, she was a lot like her cousin Broccoli, kinda soft and needin’ lots o’ takin’-care-of.     

“And, boy howdy, was she ever taken care of! Every day the royal farmers pumped water to her through gold irrigation pipes. They fed her compost and old cow manure–the best plant foods around! They made sure no weeds crept in to steal her food and shaded her with mulch to keep her cool. They pampered her more’n any plant oughtta be pampered!

“Well, what with all that pamperin’, Princess Cauliflower started thinkin’ pretty high o’ herself. ‘Why, miss Cauli,’ she would say, ‘you must be the prettiest flower in the whole world to deserve such care!’ And she really believed it too.

“But one day, after the farmers’d come to water her, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a puddle and shrunk back in horror. Why, she wasn’t pretty at all–she wasn’t even a flower! There were no pretty pink petals, no delicate stamens–just big, blotchy, white lumps! She pulled her leaves tight around the lumps, cryin’ in disappointment and shame. Surely the farmers were mistaken to care for her as they did–what value could such an ugly creature possibly have?”

By now, we were done plantin’ and waterin’ the seeds and Caldin had climbed into my lap. I sifted through thoughts and ideas, lookin’ for a proper end to the story. 

“But the very next day,” I continued, “the farmers were back out there, tendin’ the Princess Cauliflower as usual. And they came again the next day, and the next, and again the day after that until, finally, the one said to the other, ‘Look here! I think she’s ready to harvest.’

“‘Ah!’ said the other, pullin’ back a few of the leaves, ‘I think you’re right. And, my, what a fine head of cauliflower! Have you ever seen such a beauty?’

All the while Princess Cauliflower had been tryin’ to pull her leaves back around her, but these words brought her up short. A beauty? Her? No; surely they were talkin’ about someone else.

“‘Yes, indeed,’ replied the first farmer, ‘she’s almost too pretty to eat! But she’ll make many good meals for young Renn–you know, that boy won’t hardly eat any vegetable but cauliflower these days? Yep, she’ll provide him many fine meals, she will.’

“And all at once, the Princess Cauliflower understood, and had the farmers been listenin’ close enough, they might’ve heard her laughin’ for joy. ‘Cause now she knew–you don’t have to be a flower to be beautiful.”

From Sarah: Now through March 23rd, 2025, get a free packet of Snowball Cauliflower seeds with any order! Click on the button below to head over to the Shop page.

Shop