African Violets
My grandmother had pots of African Violets in the living room windows. There would be two to three pots sitting on each sill. I liked looking at them. They were shades of purple, pink and white and very pretty. Grandma said I could pick one out and take it home with me. I thanked her and looked over each one before making my selection.
When I got it home I took care of it as best I could. I kept it watered put it in a window. All the blossoms fell off and it was clear the plant was sick. I fertilized it, talked to it, kept it watered and did all I could to keep it alive. It died anyway. I felt really bad. Grandma had given me this wonderful plant and I killed it. I decided I had a black thumb.
I tried growing other house plants with varying success. They would stay healthy but eventually all of them would die. I gave up. No plants for me, except for this vine thing I got that seemed to stay alive no matter what I did.
Fast forward to 2008.
After our cat,Ary, died a friend of mine brought me a card and a plant. It was a purple African Violet. It was a pretty plant with dark purple flowers and fuzzy leaves. I thanked her. Deep down inside I wished she hadn't done it. Great, she's consoling me in my loss by giving me a plant that is going to die on me too. Wonderful. I don't think I feel bad enough.
I put the violet in the kitchen window by the sink. I watered it and took care of it as best I could.
Something amazing happened. The plant didn't die. It lived. It blossomed. It looked great. I was encouraged. Maybe my thumb wasn't black anymore.
The plant flourished. This past spring I decided that the violet looked a bit cramped. I was repotting some other plants and had a pot that was the right size. I filled the new pot with some potting mix and carefully patted it out of the old pot. I gently put it in it's new home and put a little more soil around it to hold it straight.
The plant took off. Obviously it liked it's new home and it began to blossom and grow new leaves. I was really encouraged. I had started a garden and it was growing too. Maybe black thumbs are something you grow out of.
A few months ago the floral department was selling African Violets. There were all kinds. There were purple, pink,white and lavender ones. There were violets that were purple with white edges on the blossoms. I was drawn to a plant with lavender blossoms that had many layers of petals. I liked the fluffy look of the flower with all the petals and the blossoms had a frosted look to them. I passed by that plant several times a day. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I bought it.
I took it home and put it in the kitchen window next to my first plant. I think the other plant was glad to have a "friend" as it grew even better.
Today both plants are alive and well and looking good. I'm not confident enough to try putting plants in all the windowsills. I also don't think C,Scamp and Colby would like it. It would probably be overkill anyway. Two in the window by the sink is perfect. I think Grandma would be pleased.
When I got it home I took care of it as best I could. I kept it watered put it in a window. All the blossoms fell off and it was clear the plant was sick. I fertilized it, talked to it, kept it watered and did all I could to keep it alive. It died anyway. I felt really bad. Grandma had given me this wonderful plant and I killed it. I decided I had a black thumb.
I tried growing other house plants with varying success. They would stay healthy but eventually all of them would die. I gave up. No plants for me, except for this vine thing I got that seemed to stay alive no matter what I did.
Fast forward to 2008.
After our cat,Ary, died a friend of mine brought me a card and a plant. It was a purple African Violet. It was a pretty plant with dark purple flowers and fuzzy leaves. I thanked her. Deep down inside I wished she hadn't done it. Great, she's consoling me in my loss by giving me a plant that is going to die on me too. Wonderful. I don't think I feel bad enough.
I put the violet in the kitchen window by the sink. I watered it and took care of it as best I could.
Something amazing happened. The plant didn't die. It lived. It blossomed. It looked great. I was encouraged. Maybe my thumb wasn't black anymore.
The plant flourished. This past spring I decided that the violet looked a bit cramped. I was repotting some other plants and had a pot that was the right size. I filled the new pot with some potting mix and carefully patted it out of the old pot. I gently put it in it's new home and put a little more soil around it to hold it straight.
The plant took off. Obviously it liked it's new home and it began to blossom and grow new leaves. I was really encouraged. I had started a garden and it was growing too. Maybe black thumbs are something you grow out of.
A few months ago the floral department was selling African Violets. There were all kinds. There were purple, pink,white and lavender ones. There were violets that were purple with white edges on the blossoms. I was drawn to a plant with lavender blossoms that had many layers of petals. I liked the fluffy look of the flower with all the petals and the blossoms had a frosted look to them. I passed by that plant several times a day. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I bought it.
I took it home and put it in the kitchen window next to my first plant. I think the other plant was glad to have a "friend" as it grew even better.
Today both plants are alive and well and looking good. I'm not confident enough to try putting plants in all the windowsills. I also don't think C,Scamp and Colby would like it. It would probably be overkill anyway. Two in the window by the sink is perfect. I think Grandma would be pleased.
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