Someone was doing right by the petunias, dusty miller and pansies at Pacific Avenue and South 52nd Street.

That’s a change, thought Gia Casto and Iola Brown.

The two women, who are stalwarts of the Pacific Avenue Business District, often have to sweet-talk people into tending the planters along Pacific between South 46th and 56th streets.

This year, they struck it lucky. The City of Tacoma’s greenhouse manager had surplus flowers and gave them all they needed. Business owners and residents agreed to care for most of the planters.

The two at 52nd Street remained unclaimed. Last weekend when Brown and Cato toted flowers to add to them, they were amazed to discover that someone had been watering the plants.

They figured it must be a resident of the adjacent Cascade Manor apartments, and went looking for that person. They wanted to tell about the contest they’re running for people who tend the planters. There’s a $50 prize to the best caretaker, and pastries from Connie’s Donuts to the runner up.

They knocked on one door, got no answer, and tried a second door. That’s where they found the family that had been watering the plants at 52nd.

Jesus Zuniga, 7; his mother, Dolores Hernandez, 31; and his sister Nancy Zuniga, 10, answered. Angel Zuniga, 2, peeked out from behind them.

After learning about the contest, “they all got so excited to help and possibly win the prize,” Casto said. “They immediately ran to get us water and helped us replant the planters.

“I explained to Jesus that this was now his responsibility, and he needed to take good care. I told him he could even put a sign in it stating that he had adopted it. His words, ‘I have never had a plant before,’ brought tears to our eyes.”

When Casto and Brown left, Jesus made a sign, “This is the plant of Jesus,” and used extra-long shoelaces to tie it to the planter.

When the sign blew away, Casto made another, and laminated it. On Friday, she delivered it to the family.

“I watered yesterday,” Jesus told her, adding that his father told him it’s best to do in the cool of the morning or the evening.

He wants the petunias to look young and fresh and make the people who see them happy.

“But other people took a plant,” he said. “Maybe it’s because they like them.”

Someone had also made off with his shoelaces, but it was the plants that worried him.

“If the people take them, what will happen?” he asked, concerned about the contest.

“I will bring you another one,” Casto told him.

He beamed.

“I feel happy,” he said. “I haven’t had a plant before. I haven’t ever won a prize. I haven’t had $50 in my whole life. We have donuts inside, but we are running out.”

Casto and the family tied the sign to one planter and will laminate another one for the second.

Casto is pleased that the beauty is helping the family become valued members of the neighborhood.

“Sometimes,” she said, “people are just waiting to be asked to help.”

Kathleen Merryman: 253-597-8677

kathleen.merryman@thenewstribune.com