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Saturday, January 14, 2023

Therapy Committee

 


Becky and I just did some awesome retail therapy. It was fun, with no crowds or busy roads involved... We sent a seed order to Pinetree Garden Seeds.

We bought herbs and papyrus and red geranium seeds. I can't wait! 

It isn't easy to grow geraniums from seed, but I've managed in the past and gotten some of my best colors. I already lost one of the old ones this winter though, so time to try again. 

Herb-wise, we bought a bunch of basil, some hyssop, gourds, and some Mexican mint. The basil I use to make BOOM, an herb blend we use to cook just about everything. It consists of basil, oregano, and orange mint dried and stored for winter. The oregano is not exactly the real deal, being some sort of winter-hardy marjoram-type stuff Ralph's mom and I scattered along the driveway years ago. It comes up and grows happily down there, although I have a terrible time keeping it alive up here on the hill, no matter how many times I transplant it. Good stuff!

Winter feels so much shorter when the seed catalogs start arriving...although actually this one has been here a while...




Now to find room among the jungle of house plants crowding the big windows to set some seeds to growing.




Oh, and I've been meaning to tell you about the African violet. I used to grow them bitd, but some froze when the place where I was living lost power in a terrible storm and some died because when we moved down here I used village water on them. Killed them in days (in case you were wondering why we don't drink it.)

Anyhow, there is an Amish family up on Brumley Rd. that sells garlic at a roadside stand (which has an overhang too low for normal people to fit under it...just ask Ralph, who banged his head just about every time we stopped there.) Whenever they put out more garlic and I had a couple of bucks cash we stopped and bought some. Best garlic ever! I forced myself to sacrifice some to plant even though I really wanted to save it all to eat, so there is a row out in the garden for next winter.



One day the lady of the house put out a few African violets for three bucks each. They didn't look too bad, but none were blooming. I had some cash so I picked one out and brought it home.

And waited. I figured it would probably be one of the flat, uglyish white ones with purple shadows in the center, but hey, flowers in winter are flowers in winter. At least I knew better than to give it faucet water.

One day I lifted the pot to feel it if needed water and there was a bud. Within days there was a flower that utterly lifted my heart with its beauty. The photos do not do the magical dusty pink color justice. It is the exact color of the pink shirts rodeo guys sometimes wear and it has been blooming continuously since that very first bud. 

Sometimes it's good to guess wrong.



4 comments:

Shirley said...

ooooo flowers.... I miss my flowers....
I had so many at the last place we lived, and here- nothing. I brought some iris and bee balm from there and planted them here- we have so many deer here I need to plant stuff they won't eat. I'm thinking a hansa rose might work.
I have, so far, one indoor plant- I was gifted a dieffenbachia as a house warming gift. Not my favourite but hey it's a start. My sister is babysitting my thanksgiving cactus and I hope to get it back this spring.
The African violet is lovely; I know what you mean about the white ones and then the other common one is the dark purple. I may have to try growing them again. We have rather strong light in this house; east and west facing windows so I will have to be choosy as to what plants will work best here.

threecollie said...

Shirley, I wish we were closer and I could help you repopulate. I have lots of babies and extras and can always make more. Something ate all my watermelon plants this spring. I wonder if it was deer!! Hope you plants do well in the spring!

Terry and Linda said...

PINK!!!! Perfect for dark winter days!

threecollie said...

Linda, I am hoping I can keep it growing.