“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Confucious
The Mrs. Trueheart -- International Oleander Society photo
Travels With Maggie
A recent walk through a cemetery in Galveston in search of the graves of my ancestors yielded an unexpected surprise.
The historical marker that sent me on a search to discover the oleander connection to my Trueheart ancestors. -- Photo by Pat Bean
A historical marker told me that several varieties of oleander were named after family members of my great-great-great-great-grandparents, John and Anne Trueheart.
Of course I later went on a search to find out which varieties honored them. Except for one exception, the search turned out to be as elusive as the bodies in the Galveston Cemetery, all of which got jostled about by hurricanes hitting the Texas Gulf Coast island.
The one subspecies I found that I believe without a doubt was named after my ancestors is the Mrs. Trueheart. It’s a strikingly deep pink, full blossomed oleander, whose photographic image delighted me.
That I find surprises in my travel and walks with Maggie is not surprising. They’re the reasons why I’m not a couch potato. This one just happened to be a bit more surprising than average.
Unexpected surprise? Now isn’t that an oxymoron?
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