Green Thumb or All Thumbs?
As much as I enjoy and appreciate plants out in nature (especially when it’s not allergy season) I have never been very good at keeping plants alive at home. It’s always something: the air is too dry, there’s not enough natural light, there’s too much natural light, etc… My worst luck has come from trying to raise herbs. I can’t tell you how many basil plants I have optimistically bought over the last 20-odd years, only to watch them shrivel pathetically no matter what advice I follow. (For the plant lovers reading this, it’s not all bad news. Over the years, I have successfully raised a couple of nice spineless yuccas, a ruby red fittonia, and a hare’s foot fern.) So much to say, I don’t have a proverbial “green thumb,” but I also don’t feel like I’m completely “all thumbs” about raising plants either. Maybe some of you gardeners can share some wisdom about how I can be a better plant parent—especially to basil. In fact, I would love to hear your tips! Without getting into sermon territory, I’d just like to point out how wonderful it is to play an active role in tending to a little part of the wonderous creation that surrounds and sustains us. When I water a plant, I feel the weight of providing critical sustenance to a tiny living thing. I’m always taken back to elementary science classes when I learned about photosynthesis, the water cycle, and how plants absorb nutrients from soil (or Miracle-Gro). Knowing how many people who are reading this have also grown plants—from small houseplants to fields of crops—I know you’ll understand the joy of keeping plants alive and, hopefully, “happy.”
What’s your favorite kind of houseplant? Blessings, Derek Roe
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