I'm trying to be a gardener but I'm really not very good at it. It's not instant enough for me, the idea of waiting for things to happen is anathema to me, and I either over-water my plants, thus killing them, or shamefully ignore them, thus killing them. I have had a very hardy Dracaena marginata for the past 15 or so years, which I haven't managed to kill yet, although it was touch and go at one point, but a bit of pruning and a lot of feeding saved the day. I've kept my basil plant around for a while, and most of the plants that I've put in the garden have survived and even, whisper it, thrived, including a French Lavender and two English Lavenders, so perhaps I am getting better.
Last week, I decided that the time was right to go to the local WI meeting, and went along to Northfields Community Centre with my mug and my poorly orchid, and listened to a very interesting man from Kew talk about gardens, gardening and caring for orchids. Apparently appearances are deceptive, and my orchid is not on the verge of the compost heap, but has a whole bunch of healthy roots just under the surface. With this in mind, I have fed it a bit, and watered it over the draining board so it is not standing in any water and it doesn't look any better yet. Instant gratification - why isn't it perfect immediately? Ah well, and I'm sure it will pull through soon, I have faith.
I did enjoy the WI meeting. Disappointingly, we only sang the first verse of Jerusalem; having had to sing the damn thing frequently at school, I like to show off a bit and put in a bit of vibrato on the whole bow of burning gold line, although no one else likes it much. The talk was very interesting, and I learned a whole lot about orchids, so much so that I was inspired to look after mine a bit better, and actually follow instructions for the first time in years, and the cake was delicious, so I'm really looking forward to the September meeting. I might even take my crochet along next time.
Last week, I decided that the time was right to go to the local WI meeting, and went along to Northfields Community Centre with my mug and my poorly orchid, and listened to a very interesting man from Kew talk about gardens, gardening and caring for orchids. Apparently appearances are deceptive, and my orchid is not on the verge of the compost heap, but has a whole bunch of healthy roots just under the surface. With this in mind, I have fed it a bit, and watered it over the draining board so it is not standing in any water and it doesn't look any better yet. Instant gratification - why isn't it perfect immediately? Ah well, and I'm sure it will pull through soon, I have faith.
I did enjoy the WI meeting. Disappointingly, we only sang the first verse of Jerusalem; having had to sing the damn thing frequently at school, I like to show off a bit and put in a bit of vibrato on the whole bow of burning gold line, although no one else likes it much. The talk was very interesting, and I learned a whole lot about orchids, so much so that I was inspired to look after mine a bit better, and actually follow instructions for the first time in years, and the cake was delicious, so I'm really looking forward to the September meeting. I might even take my crochet along next time.
Gosh, how impressive, I wouldn't even know what to feed an orchid! Somehow though I've managed to keep two orchids alive - one for the last 5 years that was one of the plants that sat on our wedding table, and the other an orchid sent to us when our first child was born. I feel so relieved every time they come back from practically dead, and produce more flowers... despite my gardening efforts sounding exactly like yours! Well done you!
ReplyDelete