My Plants and I

Working in the soil and with the plants is very relaxing and rejuvenating for me. It always has been. I think a lot of health and stress issues today are the result of NOT working in the soil occasionally. God gave Adam and Eve the job of working in His garden for a reason!

Here is some very intriguing information for you to read on this subject: Can Earthing Help Adrenaline Fatigue?

Since Tyrone left I have been pouring my energy and emotions into my plants. They have become my outlet; my babies...next to the ferrets of course.

Last week, on the pretty days, I spent most of my time outside in the green house. I have been exercising my green thumb in the house over the winter and I needed to re-pot and replant some plants, so that's what I did.

Last summer I 'found' a sprig of a beautiful hanging plant (of which I do not know the name of) in a nursery, so I brought that poor, defenseless sprig home and rooted it.

Now I am wondering "What on earth did I get myself into?? This isn't a hanging plant! It's a hanging weed!"

This plant/weed is beautiful, but it knows no bounds. I decided to re-pot it last week and I was shocked to find that it had wrapped around itself and tied its beautiful self into knots. When I got it untangled, I found pieces 4 foot long, or longer.

I was proud of my plant, but at the same time I was wondering "How on earth do I tame something like this?"

So, I am going to do some research, hopefully learn the name of my 'fairy plant' as I call it, and then learn how to tame it and turn it into an even more beautiful hanging plant, and not just a beautiful mess of tangles and knots!

I have also been doing research on 'Lucky Bamboo' and Orchids, because I bought one of each from Walmart, not having a clue what I was getting. All I knew at the time was that they were still in good shape, Walmart had not killed them yet, and I wanted them!

So here is what I learned:

• Lucky Bamboo is not a bamboo at all. Actually, it is in the Lilly family. Crazy huh?
• My particular Orchid is one of the easiest to raise. It is the Phalaenopsis. I also learned that this is going to be the craziest plant I have grown yet. It is going to need special attention. I can't just poke it into some dirt, give it water, and watch it grow. I have to put it in bark. I can only water it every once in a while or it will rot. I can't mist it, or the leaves will rot. It needs to be in a small pot. No direct sun-light. Otherwise, that's it. Leave this plant in it's own dark corner and let it do it's thing. But all-in-all, it is worth it because it makes the most beautiful flowers that last FOREVER! (One of the blooms is pictured above. They're pink, not purple.)

I am also starting to raise Morning Glories.

In December the seeds were on sale at Dollar General, so I bought two packets (those 'SALE' signs get ya every time!). Kris started the seeds out 2 weeks ago by soaking them in water for a couple of days, then she poked them into the dirt of a hanging pot I had set up.

Well, those Morning Glories went NUTS! They are still going crazy. I have been misting my plants daily and these Morning Glories just soak up that mist water like it's a Growing Potion. I had to re-pot them last week. Kris and I are wondering what on earth we are going to do with the rest of the seeds... we don't think we have enough pots to plant all of these buggers! I know they are supposed to be outside plants, but if you live in Oklahoma like I do, you know there is little chance of that happening. I would have to build them their very own habitat or they would die from the wind, the heat, or some dumb animal would kill them.

Now, in January, I planted 12 daffodil blubs in some pots. I brought 2 of those pots in the house.

Within a week, one of the daffodil's was poking it's head up through the dirt.

"That was unusually fast." I thought, but shrugged it off.

The daffodil just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger: it was leaving its partner daffodil WAY behind! Within 4 weeks it was already 12 inches tall while its partner was just starting to show its head.

Then, a week or two ago, my dad pinched the tall plant and sniffed it "That there is a tomat'r plant." he told me.

I took a closer look and nearly had a FIT! My mom and dad have both tried to grow tomatoes in the past, but neither of them had any luck. Now I plant a DAFFODIL and instead a stupid tomato plant springs up!!

WHAT?!?!?!? GRAAAAAH!

Thank goodness my Daffodil is still alive and it is growing, but not any faster than it's partner.

So, besides the stupid tomato plant and the other above listed plants, I have got a dozen other plants growing; succulent, ivy, ground cover, and bushes. At this rate, I may have a snazzy nursery in a couple of years! Anybody want some hanging Bind Weed, or Ivy???

Now I just need to figure out what to do with that stupid tomato plant.......