Black Thumb, Green Thumb
“Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with paradise.”
-Henry Mitchell
If you would have asked me to plant a garden a couple years ago, I'm relatively certain you would have seen a look of complete horror and dread cross my face, .... possibly followed by incredulous laughter. Mine was definitely not a green thumb. In fact, it was black. Black as the depths of the deepest abyss. My thumb had the ultra useful super power of being able to kill plants.
The only thing I had not managed to kill was the bamboo I bought in college six years ago, and if I'm being honest, it spent three years at my parents. I don't care how resilient bamboo is, I probably could have found a way to kill it had it come with me upon moving out.
No, I was definitely not well suited for gardens unless it was spring time weeding where I could do little to no harm.
Now however, I have slowly, and finally, been turning the black thumb of doom, green. Step one, getting my bamboo plant back from my parents last year and seeing that I could take care of it without killing it. Just take a deep breath and add water.
Step two, procuring an Aerogarden for myself. This indoor hydroponic garden was said to be fool proof. Set up instructions were very straight forward and easy to follow, and the only work I had to contribute was adding water and the nutrients provided any time a little blue light told me to (a very bright light I might add, not easily ignored). Easy enough? Well, I still managed to kill three out of six plants but hey, improvement!
Not to mention, this contraption actually works wonders in growing really big and fruitful plants. My one tomato stalk has over thirty tomatoes growing and changing colour day by day, my bell pepper stalk has started blooming and has a dozen peppers in the works, and my basil has been producing palm sized leaves for months that I simply can't use up fast enough. To view MiracleGro Aerogarden products, click Here.
Now, with bamboo, tomatoes, bell peppers, and basil thriving, I've decided to slowly make my way to real gardening with step three.
After having been sent a video via Facebook by my mother about planting what's already in your fridge, I decided to give a few things a try. Click Here to view the video.
I quickly learned that green onions in water grow back incredibly fast, that I'm surprisingly excited for my lettuce to keep growing, and that I am eager to keep going with growing even more of my own food.
To think, all it took was saving the last few inches of the produce I wanted to keep and putting them in a glass of water. When the roots had grown back, I made a trip to the dollar store for some low cost supplies such as soil, plant food, and terracotta pots, and made the switch from water to dirt.
Yes, I have a bit of anxiety regarding remembering to actually water the plants, but I haven't killed anything in a few months and am slowly developing confidence in the colour of my thumb.
Additionally, produce prices are going up all the time and this summer is going to be our hottest and driest yet so in my mind, having an indoor garden of potted plants in the window is going to have a fair amount of delicious perks.
When I am ready to move my little transportable garden outside (I live in Northern Canada so there is still a little bit of snow in my backyard despite it being May), I will also be adding some flowers and a bumblebee watering station to help our little physics defying friends restore their numbers and our outdoor plant life. To see what I mean by a bumblebee watering station, click Here. (I wasn't able to find the original article I had read that gave me the idea, but found this as a quick reference).
The only thing I had not managed to kill was the bamboo I bought in college six years ago, and if I'm being honest, it spent three years at my parents. I don't care how resilient bamboo is, I probably could have found a way to kill it had it come with me upon moving out.
No, I was definitely not well suited for gardens unless it was spring time weeding where I could do little to no harm.
Now however, I have slowly, and finally, been turning the black thumb of doom, green. Step one, getting my bamboo plant back from my parents last year and seeing that I could take care of it without killing it. Just take a deep breath and add water.
Step two, procuring an Aerogarden for myself. This indoor hydroponic garden was said to be fool proof. Set up instructions were very straight forward and easy to follow, and the only work I had to contribute was adding water and the nutrients provided any time a little blue light told me to (a very bright light I might add, not easily ignored). Easy enough? Well, I still managed to kill three out of six plants but hey, improvement!
Not to mention, this contraption actually works wonders in growing really big and fruitful plants. My one tomato stalk has over thirty tomatoes growing and changing colour day by day, my bell pepper stalk has started blooming and has a dozen peppers in the works, and my basil has been producing palm sized leaves for months that I simply can't use up fast enough. To view MiracleGro Aerogarden products, click Here.
Now, with bamboo, tomatoes, bell peppers, and basil thriving, I've decided to slowly make my way to real gardening with step three.
After having been sent a video via Facebook by my mother about planting what's already in your fridge, I decided to give a few things a try. Click Here to view the video.
I quickly learned that green onions in water grow back incredibly fast, that I'm surprisingly excited for my lettuce to keep growing, and that I am eager to keep going with growing even more of my own food.
To think, all it took was saving the last few inches of the produce I wanted to keep and putting them in a glass of water. When the roots had grown back, I made a trip to the dollar store for some low cost supplies such as soil, plant food, and terracotta pots, and made the switch from water to dirt.
Yes, I have a bit of anxiety regarding remembering to actually water the plants, but I haven't killed anything in a few months and am slowly developing confidence in the colour of my thumb.
Additionally, produce prices are going up all the time and this summer is going to be our hottest and driest yet so in my mind, having an indoor garden of potted plants in the window is going to have a fair amount of delicious perks.
When I am ready to move my little transportable garden outside (I live in Northern Canada so there is still a little bit of snow in my backyard despite it being May), I will also be adding some flowers and a bumblebee watering station to help our little physics defying friends restore their numbers and our outdoor plant life. To see what I mean by a bumblebee watering station, click Here. (I wasn't able to find the original article I had read that gave me the idea, but found this as a quick reference).
Is your thumb green, or black? Do you have a garden? What's your favourite perk? Comment below or send it in by email at thebrastreetrambler@gmail.com
A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience, and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust. “ -Gertrude Jekyll (Horticulturist)
Cheers!
The Bra Street Rambler
Comments
Post a Comment