Tuesday Hobbies: Green Thumb Wanna-be

I think I'm learning the sad truth that I'm not a "green thumb" like my grandmother. Now, I'm not the type to look at a plant the wrong way and kill it outright, but I don't sprout flowers wherever I walk like fairies in Fern Gully either...

I know what basic things I should notice when caring for plants... like when the leaves turn a sort of bruised color, it's usually a sign you've watered it too much. This always freaks me out since I tend to start planting things in unpredictable Tidewater Virginia weather; so, I can't understand it when it's been blistering hot and the plant starts to bruise. Inevitably, I'll back off the wrong day and dry out the whole plant making it brittle and uninterested in survival.

For example, my tickseed was bright and lovely when I planted it. It's supposed to attract bees (that's a selfish desire on my part... I want to supply the bees with whatever they need to keep making local honey for ME) and it takes full sun. Once the leaves bruised under the watering can, I backed off and watered its neighbors (I have cat mint and snowdrop... also bee-attracting flowers) only to find this week that the whole plant has dried up. When I watered it, the water fell straight through its hanging basket onto the neighbor's porch downstairs.

I'm not so bad with herbs for some reason. I have a mint plant that has threatened to swallow the herb dome on my porch. The dome looks very much like a large strawberry pot (similar to the picture here to the right) or maybe a time capsule designed to survive exiting earth's atmosphere. I'm growing basil, cilantro, parsley, lemon verbena, aloe vera, oregano, and thyme. I like to use fresh herbs when I cook... I also like not having to buy them in those plastic coffins from the grocery store.

When I bought the mint from the Farmers' Market, the lady in line ahead of me told me in the tone of a great feminine sage, "Put it in its own pot. TRUST me. It will take over." I thanked her for her advice, and as she walked away, Anya smiled at me and said, "Just plant it in its container... it'll be fine." I have to say that they were both right actually. The mint has not yet strangled the other herbs, but it has certainly grown the fastest, tallest, and widest.

I also have a plant I couldn't resist called Jupiter's Beard. It does sort of have the look of an old man's beard from first glance. What creates the illusion is the bundling of little flowers in an elongated oval. I've learned tonight in my reading that I need to be kinder to this plant... it needs to be "dead-headed" to promote growth. I enjoy the concept... the need to clear away the dead pieces of ourselves to make way for more attractive possibilities. Reminds me of Job... "Speak to Nature and It Shall Teach Thee... (Job 12:8)"

My garden is very modest... I live in an apartment, so, I don't have room for all the flowers and vegetables I'd actually want. There's something very healing about digging in the dirt... and if there's nothing to heal, the activity is simply calming. Perhaps there's also a connection to where we all come from... there's a motherhood in evolution that I think pulls my heartstrings when attempting to grow things. So, when I fail, I don't take it lightly. My poor dried up bee buddies are breaking my heart... I'm pretty frustrated. However, I do rejoice in the fact that my other plants are hanging in there... like my zucchini plant. It's still blooming these very alien looking, yellow umbrella flowers that apparently you can use for cooking (Anya, one of these days we'll make those beer-battered squash blossoms). I haven't quite figured out when to pick the green tubes that should be sprouting sometime mid-summer, but, one should pick them young... so I've read.

I'm the epitome of an amateur gardener with hardly any space to play... but there's a silent interaction with the green sprouts that excites me. I appreciate learning how to speak without speaking. All these plants can ever gain from me are my actions (it's not like they're reading my blog). I very much feel life is to be lived this way... there are many pretty words exchanged among friends, family, lovers, co-workers, siblings... but it's what we do that does all the talking necessary to know we are loved, not-so-loved, admired, missed, and cherished.

(photos from http://photos-by-reagan.com/, www.shrubs.co.uk, and http://farm1.static.flickr.com)