I’ve never been known for my green thumb (talking is what I’m known for). Some years ago, in desperation for a bit of plant love, I made a visit to my local nursery to ask for a plant I couldn’t kill. The staff gave me something with such confidence I thought this is the one. It died within the month. Even succulents which are supposed to survive in anything short of a desert storm (and probably even a desert storm), gave up the ghost.
And yet, I keep trying.
Keeping Houseplants Alive
I’ve started to make illustrated spreads in my commonplace journal on plant care, as a promise to myself that I can learn. The spreads are full of notes and doodles, and now I’ve event built a weekly routine.
The truth is, since I turned 40, all I want is a house filled with green, cat friendly plants and a garden that thrives. I dream of a little allotment out back, with raised beds enclosed by a lattice fence, and a gate with a handmade sign saying, Gracie’s Allotment. I love to cook, and the thought of eating food I’ve grown myself feels like the purest joy.
Nature Meeting Me Half-Way
Nature already tries to meet me halfway. Just the other day we had a surprise visitor. For the first time in nearly two decades, a muntjac wandered into the garden. I tried to take a picture, but by the time I grabbed my phone it had merged with the wild overgrowth at the back. What I captured instead was an ‘award-winning’ shot of … well, a brown blur in the grass.
And then there are the Freds. Since I was a child, I’ve called squirrels Fred. It started on a family trip to Wales, where they darted around our caravan site. When we came home and I spotted a squirrel in our garden, my mum told me Fred had hitchhiked in the back of the car and travelled home with us. Ever since, all squirrels are Freds. These days, Mr and Mrs Fred have their own little family of fredlets in my garden. I even managed another ‘award-winning’ photo.
Life Finds a Way
Maybe that’s why I keep trying with plants even though many have not made it. Because even if my ‘green thumb’ is questionable, ‘life finds a way’ into my garden (though not dinosaurs). Whether it’s the Fred family, a fleeting muntjac, or the stubborn will of a houseplant that survives despite me, it’s a reminder that growth is everywhere. And maybe one day I’ll get it right.