Patricia Stoltey

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How About Flowers?

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I’m writing this weekend. Yay!

I finished all my e-mail chores this morning, grabbed my yogurt, blueberries, and granola lunch, and by 1:30 I was ready to make a serious run at the last few chapters of my novel (for about the umpteenth time).

I wanted to leave something here at the old blog for the weekend, just so you’d know I’m not skipping out on my bloggerly duties. How about flowers? After all, no one deserves flowers more than you.

“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
—————Walter C. Hagen, The Walter Hagen Story

Note that African violets are one of my indoor plant success stories . . . until I try to transplant them to larger pots. That’s when I kill them. Every single time.

One of the things I like about African violets is that they can be coaxed to bloom most any time of the year. They rest from time to time, but not for long. I took these photos last weekend.

I wonder if I should try growing a pan of leaf lettuce or spinach in that same south-facing window. Why not? Can’t hurt to try.

I have always loved violets and lily of the valley more than any other flower. Violets covered our lawn and the orchard on the farm where I grew up. Lily of the valley hid near the house around the flower beds, but the slightest breeze gave them away by swirling their perfume about the yard.

I’ll have a new post up on Monday. See you then.

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Comments

  1. Got a couple of orchid plants for Mother’s Day one year. They did fine on display on the kitchen table, but they were in such tiny pots, I felt guilty about not taking care of them. I went to the garden store, talked to the expert who told me what kind of pot to use for each species as well as the proper “stuff” to plant them in.

    Dead within 2 weeks after I did that. We have this ‘rule’ around here. Hubby takes care of the outside, I take care of the inside. And all the plants inside are silk.

  2. I love flowers and used to be an avid gardener. My pop and uncle were great vege market gardeners. Try lining the initial pot with cardboard or hessian and then transplant that with the plant into the centre of the larger pot. It its waxed cardboard it will not compost too quickly. Fill around the edges, the cardboard or hessian composts and the roots push into the new space. It might work. Cheers, Simon.

  3. I love African violets too. Unfortunately, I have never had much luck with them, and now I am too scared to start again. Love looking at your violets though.