Budding Herbs Take Shape

Day 348

The closest thing I have to a green thumb are my nails done in OPI Gargantuan Grape, and even that was used on my feet, not hands. (Anyone who knows me knows I'm completely terrified of trying bold colors on my nails, and even this light green on my feet was a step outside my comfort zone.) But I digress...

I just haven't been blessed with a horticultural gene. I suppose it's probably more that I've not been blessed with being patient. "Patience is a virtue, just not one of mine," I always say. So you can imagine my surprise when, about one month after planting a small indoor herb garden and tending to it daily with water and love, I noticed the cilantro is starting to take shape! It's also very apropos that this herb out of the five I planted chose to show its leaves first. (Those who know me also know that I am obsessed with Mexican food and cooking, so having fresh cilantro on hand for blending up a salsa or chopping a batch of guacamole is pretty much ideal.)

Hopefully the other green sprouts start to take on their own identities soon. I'm a little freaked out, though, since now I'm at the stage where I'm supposed to add plant food into the daily watering ritual. That might just be my herbs' demise. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere.

Challenge: Orchid

Day 2

Bless their hearts, my coworkers gave me a stunning orchid on my last day. Here's the thing. I have pretty much the opposite of a green thumb. Aside from some rogue weeds in the yard, the only vegetation I've ever managed to keep alive is a peace lily and, from what I hear, they're about as easy as you can get. (Also, I'm not too proud to admit that Hubby really drives watering that bad boy.)

Orchid is now about a week old and, as you can see, still looking lovely. My challenge is to keep it this way. Thank goodness for the internet. First stop: Google. Attention: Said plant does not have its own dot com. You've been forewarned as to what happens when you think you can skip the search and just type in the flower + dot com.

Anyway, I've found a lot of great tips and am looking forward to seeing this through. It will be one of my long-term projects that I look forward to updating you on along the way. Please feel free to share any tips with me!

Here's one for you. When I set out on Challenge: Orchid, I couldn't help but think of the old rhyme "Mary, Mary."

Mary, Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

I looked up the rhyme to make sure I had the words right and I couldn't believe all the conversation around its origins. Many believe it's about Bloody Mary, the daughter of King Henry VIII, and there are some very dark undertones. I prefer to think of it as a song for little children, and Bloody Mary as a drink.