Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Plants Annonymous

newly purchased flowering lemon verbena plant + flowers

the vendor said this is an African... and before he could finish i already had purchased it

this is why i went to the mart in the first place, not for plants

discovered pink lace (on the left)  too and am really swooning over it

coffee + english muffin prepared by elijah for me, my bfast of champions on busy flower mornings
 Confessions:

I counted our plants the other day while watering them and realized that we have 26 in our home alone, not including our garden in the back. This is what it looks like on paper:

26 plants + 5 cats + 1 dog + 1 fish 
(I'm not even including 4 week old Chamomile in the cat tally--mine and V.v.'s recent forage on a morning walk two weeks ago. I know, I know. . . more on her later)

I realized something yesterday morning while I was at the mart looking to source flowers for a very special event happening this weekend. I have felt this sensation in the past whenever I am around nurseries, gardens, fields, heck even Home Depot. I get completely drawn into the flora world. My mind gets distracted with the slightest glimpse of any green friend. I get pulled into them, linger over them, touch their little leaves. My heart starts to pound and I am sure that my pupils dilate. My hands might even start to sweat a little and it is almost as though I am on a hunt and my prey is finally in plain sight ready for me to pounce.  I truly feel a rush. Then it's over and I am at complete peace, usually with my new green friend sitting in the car in the passengers seat or if on the larger side then in the back seat.  It is only a matter of time from the hunt that it is placed in a pot, watered thoroughly and placed in what I think is the perfect spot for it in terms of light. I introduce it to all the other plants by placing the new plant in between the others in the tub during weekly waterings. I tell them all to say hello and to make our new green friend feel welcomed as a new member of the family. Have I told you too much? I don't believe that I have ever written a post like this before. I just wanted to you let in. I might have a slight addiction to plants. 

So yesterday, as I was trying my best to breeze through the nurseries at the mart to get to more flowers (why I was there in the first place mind you), a flowering lemon verbena entered my plane of vision. I stopped. My heart's beat started to feel stronger. I started to imagine it sitting pretty in my garden. We need this flowering herb I told myself! I don't have one and I can make tea with it and Elijah can use it for his drink botany and . . . and . . . ! Before I knew it, I was in the car with all my flowers + a newly purchased and stunning flowering lemon verbena plant and a tree. I picked up the phone immediately while making my way back home. Hello, Elijah, I did it again. . .

How many plants do you have?

10 comments:

  1. I have a plant addiction too! I use to buy seeds mailorder and has at least 4 shoe boxes full, I have a permaculture but had way more tomato seeds than I could ever grow, they just had such cool names like "Granny's Throwing Tomato". My boyfriend has also banned me from going to nurseries as I impulse buy things we have no room for!

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    1. Jo! Thanks so much for sharing this with me. I would totally fall for something called "Granny's Throwing Tomato" too! I mean, c'mon...!!

      ...and if anything now both you + Sweden will have all of our future seeds to grow! HA!

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  2. haha, oh man, this is the best. I get this way in stores and museums often. I imagine your home to be a magical and verdant sanctuary lili :)

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    1. Hi Dana! I can see that happening at museums too. It would be really cool to do a photo series on this idea: the observer's rush. What pulls one person in and keeps another from stopping.

      I hope that your new place is filled with bright light and feelin' like home ;)

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    2. that *would* be a fantastic photo series..... ::scheming:: and thank you :) it is so bright, and so lovely. I need moreeee plants but am sadly completely clueless ! I need your help!

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  3. Your words make my heart sing! Flowers, herbs and a tree? That sounds like an awesome day. I bet your garden is just lovely.

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    1. Oh Lisa I think so too! Thank you for sharing this with me and for visiting my blog ;)

      Do you have a garden?

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    2. Hi Lili...I really wish I had a garden! I work with flowers for a living but I often dream about all the bulbs, grasses and trees I'd plant if I had my own little outdoor space. One day, right?

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  4. this is so weird! i´m the same way, at first there is the rush and then absolute calm... and i don´t dare to count my plants, i really don´t... because an other thing i love to do is create even more plants with cuttings AND i just planted a few hundered bulbs - i feels like i´m sharing a dirty secret:)

    but only one cat here:)

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    1. Oh how funny! So happy to know that I am not so crazy after all, or at least there are more of us out there than I thought!

      I would love to see all your bulbs when they start peeking their heads through the soil. W O W.

      and one cat is all you ever really need until you find the second one. and then the third. and then by that point when the 4th and 5th come along you're just like 'well I already have 4.' gets me into trouble every time.

      thank you for sharing x

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