Her first memories were of song, the feel of warm tears, and an ache that Rose Petal soon realized was love. She remembered a young girl's voice, filled with sorrow and love, naming Rose Petal her favorite rose and telling her she loved her. Someday, the girl promised, she would come back to the flowers, and she begged them to live forever, for her, caring for the garden as she once had.
Rose Petal's memories were much clearer after that point, when the warm tears of love had changed her from an ordinary flower into a flower maiden. Sunny Sunflower, Lily Fair, Iris, Orchid, and Daffodil soon joined her in waking up, contributing to a song that had flown from her throat like a bird. Those early days were full of discovery and wonder, and also slight confusion as they roamed about trying to make sense of their new lives. There were magical cottages and vehicles that had once been ordinary gardening tools, Crystal Teardrops shone brilliantly from their hats and their cars, and they found it a bit overwhelming. (The magic tears didn't come with instruction manuals, after all!)
But the girls had soon sorted themselves out, turning the abandoned garden into a paradise full of music and laughter. Every one of them learned what they liked to do most, and often times they worked best together. Rose Petal loved to sing, Sunny Sunflower liked sports, Iris was shy and loved to paint, Daffodil was a financial expert and ran her own boutique, Lily Fair enjoyed hard work and shone onstage as a prima ballerina, and Orchid loved to host parties and try on the newest clothes available.
The girls soon learned they weren't the garden's only inhabitants. They made close friends in Elmer the elm tree, Seymour J. Snailsworth, Tumbles the hedgehog, P.D. Centipede, butterflies and insects of all sorts, and most of all, Rose Petal's pet kitten, Pitterpat. Through Elmer, who was the longest-lived resident in the entire garden, the flower maidens learned that through the girl's tears of love, they had been granted ageless, eternal life, and would live forever so long as nothing harmed them.
Rose Petal in particular was gifted with a magical voice that rejuvenated the garden and its inhabitants—which soon grated upon the wicked spider, Nastina, and her assistant Horace Fly. Most spiders were friendly to gardens and flowers, but Nastina, unfortunately, was not. She hated Rose Petal and all of her friends, and went to whatever lengths she could to try and make the garden as ugly and nasty as she was. Horace was all too happy to assist in her plans, and his crush on Orchid didn't stop him from causing havoc to every resident of the garden, especially Rose Petal.
Once, not so long ago, the evil duo had tried to kill Rose Petal by pretending to have reformed, and it took everyone's effort to stop them and save her through their own tears of love. Nastina and Horace had tried several wicked schemes since, with little success, and each attempt to take over made Rose Petal more determined to stay and protect the garden she and her friends called home—just like the girl that had cared for them, sang for them, so long ago.
At night, though, she couldn't help but wonder and fret, and many of her friends shared at least some of Rose Petal's worries. What if one of Nastina's plans succeeded, and the garden was ruined? Would anyone new ever come to the garden? What could they do to make the garden even better than it was?
Most of those questions had answers, and the ones that didn't she tucked away like seeds to answer later. But other questions, more specific questions, were ones Rose Petal didn't know how to answer.
Who was the girl that had once cared for them so lovingly? Where had she gone? Would she ever come back? If she did, what would happen to them?
None of the other girls seemed to have those questions, though Sunny was willing to listen, and Iris once painted a fair likeness of the girl from the description she gave, which gave Rose Petal comfort. Most of the time she put the thoughts at the back of her mind. But someday, she promised herself, she'd calm her restless heart and find the answers to her questions.
And on a warm day in May, many years after the girl left the garden, Rose Petal got answers.
One day, Rose Petal was awake when no one else was, and that was when an old woman came to the garden. She carried a small basket of flowers and blossoms, and it seemed as if her journey had taken many miles, for she sat under Elmer's shade to rest. She began to sing to herself, softly at first, then louder.
Normally, Rose Petal would have been curious, and even a little frightened. Humans were a very rare sight indeed, with the garden thriving in secret behind a long-abandoned house. But as soon as she heard the woman's voice, however weathered with age, a jolt of recognition flooded her.
It was her, Rose Petal breathed. Their caretaker. It had to be.
Boldly, Rose Petal ran out into the open, joining her in song. The old woman looked momentarily startled, but as she saw Rose Petal more clearly, leaning down to get a good look, she broke into an astonished smile.
"My word," the old woman said. "You're… you're my favorite rose, aren't you? Living and thriving, after all these years…and you can talk!"
"Yes, ma'am," Rose Petal said reverently, giving a slight curtsy. "Thank you for caring for the garden years ago. My first memories were of your singing, and you helped us all thrive wondrously! I cannot thank you enough. But… if it's not too much trouble, I have some questions."
"It's no trouble at all. I have questions too," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "You go first."
Rose Petal asked the first thing that came to mind. "Why did you leave the garden? Did you ever try to come back?"
To that the old woman seemed sad, recalling the memory. "Our family had to move away, far away. I thought I'd never see my precious flowers again, so I came to say goodbye. In the years since, time and the way of the world kept me from my old home. I'm very happy to be here now," she finished.
Wiping at her eyes, the caretaker smiled at Rose Petal. "Here are some of my questions. How have you lived so long, unchanging? Are there more maidens like you? What is it like to live here?"
Rose Petal beamed as she answered. "Oh, yes! There's Sunny Sunflower, Lily Fair, Iris, Orchid, and Daffodil, and we live alongside many others in the garden. They call it Rose Petal Place! As for living forever …"
She blushed slightly. "It was your wish and your tears of love that made us the way we are. We won't ever age, and my songs help the garden grow, just like your songs did for us. Most of the time it's very peaceful here, but Nastina the spider is always trying to take over the garden. Luckily, she hasn't succeeded."
The old woman arched an eyebrow. "That's a shame. Most spiders I've met liked gardens."
"Not this one," Rose Petal said sadly. "She's full of awful schemes. But I vowed to take care of the garden, and as long as I live, that's exactly what I'll keep on doing. And whenever I'm down, my friends are always there to help."
The caretaker nodded, then asked a question that Rose Petal found surprising.
"Do you ever wish you had new friends?"
Rose Petal nodded. "I love my old friends and everyone I know, but sometimes I do think it would be nice to have someone new around."
Their caretaker gave a sad smile and sat down on the cool grass, carefully placing her basket on the ground to show her its contents. Rose Petal could see many different flowers, including cherry blossoms attached to a branch, marigolds, gladiolas, fuchsia, Canterbury bells, and sweet violets.
"I had come to plant these, and to see my old garden one last time," the old woman explained. "I hadn't expected to find you, but now that I have, I know these flowers will live long and happy lives in Rose Petal Place, just as you and the others do."
The old woman then turned to the flower maiden with purpose. "I know this is a sudden request, but would you sing for me," she asked. "My voice isn't what it used to be."
"I'd love to," Rose Petal said, almost reverently, as she led their former caretaker to Carnation Hall, where everyone in the garden put on their finest performances. "This space was built for bugs, but I'm sure you can find some place to sit. Please, relax."
The old woman sat on a tree stump, careful not to disturb the seats, and Rose Petal took her place onstage. This was a whole new level of stage fright, she thought, but she was determined to block out any whispering fears. This was something she needed to do, for herself and their beloved caretaker.
Softly at first, and then louder, Rose Petal sang songs of friendship, of how everyone needed friends in their lives. She sang of believing in yourself, of picking yourself up when you fell. She sang of love and happiness in people's hearts, of smiling even when things went wrong, and her clear, melodic voice filled every corner of the garden with life.
The old woman cried, and this time her tears were happy. The tears of joy and love fell upon the flowers she had brought, and just as they had done the first time so long ago, the blossoms began to change into little maidens, their petals becoming hats and stems becoming dresses. This time she watched the change occur, and the caretaker was awed as Crystal Teardrops, shining with the love she carried, crystallized on their hats.
Cherry Blossom awoke first, followed by Sweet Violet, Fuchsia, Marigold, Gladiola, and Canterbury Belle. The new flower maidens stretched and climbed out of the basket into the warm sunshine, and greeted their new surroundings with smiles. Rose Petal watched with delight as they investigated every blade of grass, peering under rocks and into small holes. There would be time for explanations and introductions, she knew, but first she shared in their joy at being alive in a way they had never known before.
Then she turned to their caretaker, who had made all of it possible, and cried tears of joy herself.
"Thank you, ma'am," Rose Petal exclaimed, her Crystal Teardrop shining brilliantly in the morning sun. "New friends! My goodness, it's just what…it's just what we both wanted!" She offered a hand, too small to hug her like she wanted.
The old woman leaned down to shake Rose Petal's tiny hand. "They'll need guidance to stay away from that spider," she reminded her, "and sunshine, just like ordinary flowers. But most of all, they'll need love—and I'm confident you can grant them what they need."
Rose Petal nodded sincerely. "I will—we all will. I promise."
Their caretaker smiled. "Then I leave them in your capable hands, for I must be going, now. Goodbye, Rose Petal—and thank you for everything."
The old woman walked away, down the garden path, and Rose Petal's songs of joy and love followed her on the way out.
Rose Petal felt certain that she wouldn't see her again, and she felt sad at that, but the joy at seeing her at all, and the new friends that waited for them, overpowered the tinges of sorrow. And she'd learned the answers to her questions—and more.
Love, Rose Petal had learned, was the answer to it all, and there was always a garden of love to share with friends old and new.