Kelly Gilliam
Today I was eyeing the plants at my grocery store. We all know not to ever expect much from the grocery store plants, as they’re usually completely neglected, dry, and limp looking if not half (or totally) dead. However, the grocery store plants are the closest and easiest for me to get to, so I like to puruse and sometimes get a spectacular find.
However, that’s not what got me thinking today. What got me thinking, was the urge I have whenever I see a half dead plant. I know from discussions on the forums that these urges are natural for us that have gone beyond the occasional gardener to the obessive gardener.
It sounds bizarre for those of you who aren’t constantly picking through and checking on their gardens, and looking for seeds of bizarre and exotic plants. But I liken it to the cat lover who can’t help but rescue a stray cat. I can’t help but want to rescue the poor neglected plants. I can see their beauty through their browned and wilted leaves, I know that just with a little TLC they could flourish.
That doesn’t mean I save every plant, however, but I sure want to. Perhaps that’s why every inch of available windowsill space is covered with little (and some not so little) plants. Almost every plant I’ve bought has been an attempt to save its life, save for a few here and there.
I have to stop myself some times and realize, that while I hold a plants life as extremely important, sometimes my need to eat is a little more important than a withered and dying aloe that I’m positive would live 100 years if just given a little care now.
I can relate!
One summer I worked in a garden center and I ended up carting home all sorts of pathetic looking but salvagable plants, like about 30 mint plants infected with rust. The roots were fine, and now I always have mint.
I totally agree with Kelly, I too, look past the brown and wilted leaves…in fact, I had bought several outdoor plants at our local nursery last year for a quarter each. They are large, beautiful flowering plants now! I also pick up pieces of plants broken off from the ground. I always ask if I can have them and get strange looks as the checkout clerk says “sure, go ahead.”
I have several plants started from the ‘cuttings’ I have found, a beautiful wax plant, a varigated arrowhead plant and a philodendron.