Growing stuff

I do not have a history of success at growing things outside. I remember our first year at our first house I planted gladiolas. That was an entire failure. Wait. It was hollyhocks. Different flower, same failure. I planted lots of stuff with the kids over the years. Nothing grew. Ever. I gave up.

I was not interested in buying any house plants, because I assumed they would die. I got a lovely peace lily from friends when my dad died, and I still have it over fifteen years later. (Alexander got to babysit it during our time in Wales. He strongly believes in not having plants. He did not get a choice. We then found out that it was where the tiny flies were coming from – as they took over his office. Whoops. There had been tiny flies around the house, but I couldn’t figure out where they were coming from. The peace lily is the only plant that doesn’t go outside for adventure during the summer, so I never ever considered it. Huh.)

I got* a hibiscus tree for Mother’s Day one year, probably about 15 years ago. (I suggested to Keith that a hibiscus would make a great gift. HINT HINT. His excuse for not getting one was that he didn’t know what it was. I said it’s the plant sitting outside the grocery store. We drove together and I got one. That is the got with the *.) Every year we (Keith, or Benjamin) drag it outside and it flourishes in the shade on deck. When fall threatens, we (Keith) chop off 2/3 of it and let it start again in the front window. It stopped blooming a couple years ago. I need to have a talk with it. I’ve just been giving it space, but it needs to step up.

My sisters surprised me on my birthday in 2020 – REALLY close to pandemic start (SO glad to have seen them then as the next so-many months dragged along) and brought me a beautiful orchid. I went to the Chelsea Flower show in 2009 and that is where I learned that I love orchids. I had so, so many flowers to enjoy and realized I might enjoy orchids the most. My orchid bloomed for many months, and when it was done, I left it sitting in the kichen window. I watered it, sometimes. Two years later, it started growing buds – in time for me to go to Wales! My lovely friend was willing to keep it for me, and returned it in bloom, with more buds still to open.

Then there are the poinsettias. I never bought one, because there was the myth floating around about poisoning your cat and I certainly did not want that to happen. I inherited one about 7 years ago when someone brought one for the teacher I was subbing for the day before winter break. Since leaving it for two weeks made no sense, the giver gifted it to me. It wasn’t dead after Christmas, so I kept watering it. I planted it outside in May. It grew. (OUTSIDE) I dug it up and brought it back in. I has flowered every Christmas since, and is now a 4 foot tall tree. Another lovely friend babysat it while we were gone. (Benjin and Sean gave me some poinsettias three years ago. They are on their way to being trees, having been cared for by more friends.) (Thank goodness for friends!!)

SO, yesterday, before we ended up in the basement, I was going to tell you that even though we have followed the instructions, have not missed any waterings, and we are pretty nice people, the grass seed we put down IS NOT GROWING. Why? I don’t know, but I was going to lodge a complaint that I don’t think it is very fair. I do not know how to just randomly, accidently grow grass in my house like I grow other stuff in my house. But, we were in the basement, so that is what you heard about. Today, I went out to watch Keith water the grass AND IT IS GROWING. Tiny grasses are out there! OoOoOooOOOoooo!!!! Yay yay yay win win win!