Now, even without the Englishman's smiles and sometimes snarky comments about my gardening abilities, I am quite aware that I do not in fact have a green thumb. I'm not even what would qualify as a "week-end gardener". Due to my upbringing I am in fact an excellent weeder, having spent many hours on my knees in the hot summer sun clearing flower beds on my parents' property.
But a girl can dream and I do have visions of one day having a kitchen garden and numerous flowering rose bushes. In the meantime, I am quite proud of the plant you see above. Not only is it alive and blooming, I've had it for three years. Three whole years! Hence, the sign next to it reading "Miracles Happen". Well done me!
It is a Christmas cactus and was a gift from my future son-in-law. When he presented it to me, I smiled and accepted it graciously and thought, "You poor man. You obviously have far more faith in my gardening abilities than either I or the Englishman have." And I was so afraid I would soon kill it, with kindness or over-watering, and hurt the young man's feelings. But success has been mine, with a great deal of luck and restraint of watering can, and it has bloomed every Christmas since.
So I will continue to dream and build up my tiny army of herb plants which commute between the kitchen bay window in winter and the gardening table outside, which the Englishman purchased for me several years ago. I'll admit that the two rose bushes I planted at the beach are struggling. But I remember the advice my Dad used to give me and will "Have a little faith". Besides, as the Englishman reminds me, we can always go to the garden center and buy new ones.
No comments:
Post a Comment