My Greenish Thumb
When I first moved out on my own, I killed a plastic plant.
Ridiculous?
Completely. After several rounds with live plants, where I watered them to death and talked to them and cleaned their leaves gently with paper towels misted with affection, I gave up and went the plastic plant route. I placed this plant on top of the micowave stand in the kitchen, right in front of the window, where the sun beamed in and lit up its little plastic leaves.
I went away on a week's vacation and came back to find the plant, mushy and melted in sections.
My friends used to make fun of me for being a plant-murderer, claiming that florists lived in fear of me and produce managers begged me not to touch their wares. It was a dark and leave-less time.
However, I fancy myself a budding horticulturist these days, having learned that the best thing to do for plants is to leave them the hell alone. No excessive watering, don't bother naming them, and keep the damn cats away from their fragile leaves.
At home, the basil is starting to grow on the windowsill, under the hungry, watchful eye of Ms. Siah.
At work, an easter cactus blooms.
A spider plant reaches towards the skylight above my desk.
And Treebeard keeps watch over dLife from his top-shelf vantage point.
And little Sausage wishes she could go outside and chase the birds.
Comments
When a florist told my husband that "This plant is hard to kill" he replied: "You don't know my wife." We don't have plants.
Posted by: Michelle | April 27, 2007 08:48 AM
Ooh, I love that you're growing herbs :)
I want to do that too.
Posted by: Shannon | April 27, 2007 09:10 AM
I wouldn't say I have a green thumb either, but my problem seems to be my cat, who insists on eating my plants, including herbs like mint and basil. I finally bought the feline demon some fresh catnip, and she ignored it, so I've pretty much given up!
Posted by: Scott | April 27, 2007 09:18 AM
What ever happened to the plant you brought from your old job? Did that one make it?
Posted by: George | April 27, 2007 10:15 AM
Does Treebeard get Entwash?
(seeing that figure just reminded me of the rediculous number of LoTR action figures that I have.... oh lord I'm a dork...)
Posted by: Krista | April 27, 2007 11:16 AM
Michelle - Hee hee. Story of my life.
Shannon - Nothing is better than homegrown herb. (Go ahead, Google - do your worst.)
Scott - I grew catnip and the blasted cats ignored it and went for the flowers instead. I can't win.
George - Old plant didn't make it. (RIP) So I'm filling the void with new plants.
Krista - Of course he gets Entwash. What the hell else would he get? Water? Psssh.
Posted by: Kerri. | April 27, 2007 12:07 PM
Entwash is proven to kill 99% of the bugs missed by brushing alone.
Posted by: Darrell | April 27, 2007 03:02 PM
Kerri, you give me hope that I, also a notorious plant-killer (my roommate once bought me one of those "hard to kill" plants at the advice of a florist, and I managed to kill it within a matter of months), may one day triumph and move beyond my plant-murdering days! And I don't even have a single cat as an excuse! Maybe next year, when I move into my first real apartment...
Posted by: Jana | April 27, 2007 03:20 PM
That's an excellent photo of the Sausage.
Viva la plant-killers! Like me.
Posted by: Nicolep | April 27, 2007 04:51 PM
do u keep ur cats inside? i don't bother with plants, my cats would wreck them all.
Posted by: vicki | April 28, 2007 05:43 AM
You have given a fellow plant murderer hope. I kill anything green. I forget to water things, I forget to care for them .... I forget all together. Apparently plants don't like this ... lol.
Congrats on your successful greenthumber-ship (I think I just made a new word up). :)
Posted by: Jamie | April 29, 2007 11:31 AM
In the UK it's green FINGERS not green thumbs!
I have both.
Posted by: verity74 | May 1, 2007 06:50 AM