I do not have a green thumb.
About the only thing I can grow is mold, so I am amazed that
I still have a tiny sprig of basil growing and that a flowering plant I
received at the end of school three weeks ago is still alive. Shocking.
In an effort to pretend that I am actually able to keep
seasonal plants alive, I go to Home Depot and check out their sale rack. That’s
right: If I am going to kill the plants anyway, I might as well buy some that
are cheap and already halfway dead. This way I have a self-fulfilling prophecy
and I also haven’t broken the wallet.
I know I want geraniums because those help to keep
mosquitoes at bay. With a porch that faces the woods and also now is on a flood
plain due to recent storms, those little blood-suckers can be a real problem.
But I also want some color that is not limited to orange and gold. Since the
sale sign claims the plants in this particular area are all three for ten
dollars, I promptly select six containers. Twenty-plus-tax dollars later, I happily
bring home my plants.
I am pleased to report that although I had to dead-head
several of the shoots, my six (yes, ALL SIX) plants have survived a week so
far. I know; hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Even my basil plant is
hanging on for dear life.
I may not have an official green thumb, but for seven days
it sure has felt like it. I’m willing to celebrate small victories.
