Over the years it has been very apparent that I do not possess a green thumb. Whether outside or inside, plants take one look at me and wither almost immediately! I've rarely successfully grown anything.
During our years in West Jordan, we tried numerous times to grow a successful garden. We love canned beans and tried more than once to grow both pole and bush beans. And I was determined to succeed with tomatoes. Nothing in the stores compare to a home grown tomato! Unfortunately, our gardens were a flop and I was certain that the soil in West Jordan was not conducive to gardening. Then, Ken's mother moved to West Jordan, planted her first garden and grew so many beans we had to give cases of canned beans away! (sigh) One year she planted a single lonely tomato plant in her front flower bed. The branches were so covered with tomatoes we were afraid they would break. So much for the soil in West Jordan being the problem. :-)
I've not fared any better with houseplants and I've tried quite a few! I've even tried the ones that everyone told me no one could kill. They were wrong! :-) One time I brought home a large potted plant for the family room and asked Justin to carry it into the house for me. I heard him lean over to the plant and say, "Welcome to the funeral parlor, little plant!"
But the day has come! Hanging from the ceiling next to my kitchen sink is a Lipstick plant and its blooming! Believe me, I was dismayed when Ken got a start for this plant from my mother. I had become a firm believer in silk plants and no longer wanted to be responsible for ones that were actually alive. Ken was pretty excited, though, and after we potted the starts, it actually had some new growth but no blooms. Later, someone mentioned that this particular plant usually doesn't bloom unless its root bound. Since we had put our 4 or 5 scraggly little starts in a HUGE pot, it wasn't going to be root bound anytime soon. I purchased a small pot and transferred our starts, hanging it from the ceiling by the sink, hoping that with the faucet right there I'd actually remember to water it. :-) To my surprise, it's actually thrived and this is the second time we've had blooms.
I'm afraid it hasn't changed my reputation, though. Ken bought me a potted plant for Valentine's Day and I heard him discussing with Kevin its possible lifespan! Kevin was only giving it two weeks. :-) It did last considerably longer and is still hanging in there but I have to admit, it's looking a little pathetic. I guess I can only manage one plant at a time!
Lipstick plants get their name because the blooms look like tubes of lipstick when they first start to open out.
During our years in West Jordan, we tried numerous times to grow a successful garden. We love canned beans and tried more than once to grow both pole and bush beans. And I was determined to succeed with tomatoes. Nothing in the stores compare to a home grown tomato! Unfortunately, our gardens were a flop and I was certain that the soil in West Jordan was not conducive to gardening. Then, Ken's mother moved to West Jordan, planted her first garden and grew so many beans we had to give cases of canned beans away! (sigh) One year she planted a single lonely tomato plant in her front flower bed. The branches were so covered with tomatoes we were afraid they would break. So much for the soil in West Jordan being the problem. :-)
I've not fared any better with houseplants and I've tried quite a few! I've even tried the ones that everyone told me no one could kill. They were wrong! :-) One time I brought home a large potted plant for the family room and asked Justin to carry it into the house for me. I heard him lean over to the plant and say, "Welcome to the funeral parlor, little plant!"
But the day has come! Hanging from the ceiling next to my kitchen sink is a Lipstick plant and its blooming! Believe me, I was dismayed when Ken got a start for this plant from my mother. I had become a firm believer in silk plants and no longer wanted to be responsible for ones that were actually alive. Ken was pretty excited, though, and after we potted the starts, it actually had some new growth but no blooms. Later, someone mentioned that this particular plant usually doesn't bloom unless its root bound. Since we had put our 4 or 5 scraggly little starts in a HUGE pot, it wasn't going to be root bound anytime soon. I purchased a small pot and transferred our starts, hanging it from the ceiling by the sink, hoping that with the faucet right there I'd actually remember to water it. :-) To my surprise, it's actually thrived and this is the second time we've had blooms.
I'm afraid it hasn't changed my reputation, though. Ken bought me a potted plant for Valentine's Day and I heard him discussing with Kevin its possible lifespan! Kevin was only giving it two weeks. :-) It did last considerably longer and is still hanging in there but I have to admit, it's looking a little pathetic. I guess I can only manage one plant at a time!
Lipstick plants get their name because the blooms look like tubes of lipstick when they first start to open out.
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4 comments:
You go girl! I refuse to own any anymore!
Congratulations! I, too, am a failure in the green thumb department. Last year we finally were able to grow a few things in our square foot garden, but we still had several of our crops die.
When I was sick in February I was given some house plants. I'm trying so hard to keep them alive, but all but one are looking pretty sickly. I'm still dubious about the outcome.
I'm glad your ability to keep only one plant alive at a time didn't apply to raising children. Six of us would have been out of luck if it had.
Lovely plant!
Great job!
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