APPALACHIAN-LIFE-L Archives

Archiver > APPALACHIAN-LIFE > 2002-05 > 1020263997


From: Jeannie Travis <>
Subject: [AppalLife] Time to put the flower pots outside !
Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 09:39:57 -0500


These Spring rains make me glad I took all my house plants outside and
set them along the back of the house for the summer...They flourish there
on the North side of the house, and hubby hoses them down once in
awhile...Even African violets love this rough treatment..But, I think one
good rain falling from the sky is better than a half dozen waterings with
the hose...I've seen plants just sitting there not growing take a big
spurt of health after a gentle rain.....

It seems like every Fall I start dreading the winter and must have lots
of plants between me and the cold winter we're facing. And... every
Spring I dread getting them ready for the summer... I cut back the plants
in the big window box that just fits in the West kitchen window as soon
as I get it outside, and put the cuttings in water to root...In this box
I have a Fuchsia, pink and white double flowered begonia, variegated
spider plant and cane, purple/ silver and small leaf green cane, a short
type of Mother in law tongue[ given to me 20 years ago by a dearly
departed friend], an African violet that started out Mini and now has
multi plants all together, and an Aloe Vera. ...I really waited late to
take them outside, but learned my lesson a few years ago when I had to
brush the snow off them after a late Spring snowstorm...! Even the
sultanas , a very " tender "flower survived just fine , though ....after
I trimmed them .
The bag of potting soil I used to re new the planter is a far cry from
years ago when I helped my Ma get her flowers ready for a summer on the
front porch...... A trip to the woods to get a bucket of rich " woods
dirt " was first on the list, and my, how her flowers did thrive ! She
always had a Christmas cactus that bloomed beautifully, if not exactly on
time each year, an airy Lady fern , a begonia, which was known then as a
"Wax Geranium " and others .In the winter time , she kept them near a
window that faced the porch, for some reason , on a square table with
carved legs and glass ball feet.

Her big log house was heated in that room by a fireplace, and I don't
see how her flowers lived through the winter . She never moved them
closer to the heat, just draped a sheet over them at night . I wonder if
she slipped a few heated bricks in under that sheet? I doubt it--she
never even slipped a heated brick in MY bed on those cold winter nights,
and there was no doubt in my mind that she loved me more than anything in
the whole wide world !

I'll leave you with this wish...May all your weeds be wild flowers !
Jeannie Travis


________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.

This thread: