Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mother's Day, 2009

Today is Mother's Day.

Several weeks ago, at the height of my spring plant purchasing mania, I visited a nursery outlet and purchased a few veggie plants (Okay, I purchased many!). And among my purchases that day were a few flowering plants I chose to give my mother for Mother's Day. One was a Mandavilla vine, which was and still is flowering beautifully; large red trumpet flowers. Another was a Schwarzwalder Zantedeschia Calla, which is just now blooming; beautiful dark purple, almost black tubular flowers. The third is a Hymenocallis Festalis which hasn't bloomed yet, but promises unique, delicate white flowers.

My mother has the most prolific green thumb of anyone I know. She has never read any books or articles on the care of houseplants, but she is capable of growing absolutely anything, and has a house filled with plants to prove it. She's been known to pinch off tiny pieces of plants when visiting gardens and arboretums, stuff them in her purse, and pot them at home, watching them grow into healthy, vigorous plants with little more effort than a watering and a little loving encouragement. She can even stick a stick in the ground and it will grow into a tree!

Mother once had a Crown of Thorns that she had kept for 15 years. I did a lot of research on that plant, and in every book and article I read, no one could say they'd had one survive more than 5 years, or grow taller than a couple of feet. Mother's was nearly 6 feet tall when it finally died. It had begun life in her home as a 1-inch piece she stole from somewhere. Mother has always said that plants grow best when they're "pinched." And she still has a Shamrock plant I gave her one St. Patrick's day, 13 years ago. It was a little $3.99 pot from the grocery store. Mother has repotted it several times, watched it die back, return, and flower. It lives and thrives now on a table at her living room window, surrounded by other happy, thriving plants.

I have marveled at my mother's gift with plants for most of my life, unable to do more myself than pass along to her the dying houseplants I have tried to nurture. I would love to be surrounded, as my mother is, with beautiful, live, healthy green plants that stand up and dance for her in the light when she walks into the room. I would love to have the dilema of having so many plants that I don't know what to do with them all. But that blessed burden belongs solely to my wonderful mother, who, on this day, will receive three more plants to fuss over and converse with, and nurture. She will insist she hasn't the room for them, but she will not refuse them. Mother will accept them with grace, and admiration of their exotic beauty, and with a broad smile on her face as her heart leaps quietly in her chest for these new acquisitions to her collection.

It is a miracle that I have been able to keep these three flowering plants alive for the last few weeks. I haven't even repotted the two lillies, as I've been busy with my vegetable plants. The roots of both are bursting out of the tiny little containers I purchased them in, and the Mandevilla is trying to wrap itself around the rails of my front porch. You see, I grow vegetables. I work very hard at it. I read and study, and labor over my plants with only mediocre success. My mother's green thumb did not pass to me, unfortunately, and oh, how I do wish it had.

1 comment:

Michelle said...

I love the way you write, Michelle. I miss seeing your posts here and on KG, but I know that you must be busy with something important. Just wanted to let you know how much I love to read about your wonderful farm & critters, and hope that you have more time to post soon! :)
Michelle