The Thumbery

So normally when I refer to the Thumb I'm talking about the Tom Thumb grocery store that is right around the corner from our house. Today's thumb is in regards to my plant caring skills or lack there of. Apparently, I have a knack for growing the world's most difficult flowers yet kill the world's easiest plants to care for...this is true inside and out.

Let's first look at some examples inside the house:

Orchids - I have 2 orchid plants that peacefully live in the 2 bathroom windows by our tub. I enjoy seeing them every day, think about watering them, and get around to it about once every 2 weeks. Other than that I do nothing which is apparently the best course to take with an orchid. My dad who can grow anything killed the orchid plant I gave my mom for Easter last year in about 2 weeks.

This one was given to me on July 8, 2008. Yes, I have an orchid plant that continues to bloom and has for almost TWO YEARS...even through all our home remodeling.

This one was given to me on Sept. 8, 2009. It is still in the original plastic papery pot it came in and look at all those blooms!

Lucky Bamboos - I had a lucky bamboo that came in a flower arrangement that Adam gave me when we were in London for Valentine's day in 2006. I smuggled it back into the US in a brand new Burberry coat that I had bought (aside: some BIZATCH first class flight attendant on an AA flight from Chicago to Dallas stole it...I'm still furious about it!). That lucky bamboo was killed by Einstein constantly drinking it's water and chewing on it's leaves so Adam bought me a replacement.

Here is the replacement...Yep, yellow and dead.

My mom left me a big lucky bamboo when she moved to her new house. It was 3 huge bamboos that she had grown for years. Why is there only 1 now? That's right 2 have already shriveled up and died. HOW ON EARTH can you kill this many lucky bamboos? ...apparently they are not so lucky!

Now for some outside examples:

Encore Azaleas - I've always loved azaleas and wanted to plant some around our back patio and pool. I talked to Carlos, our lawn guy, about planting them and he told me they wouldn't grow there because of the sun exposure and the poor quality of dirt. I was bound and determined to have azaleas so I decided I would do it myself. Last May, while I was about 4 months preggo, I dug out the entire flower bed down about a foot. Adam bought a tiller and churned the next layer of existing dirt with potting soil. My mom and I went and got 12 azalea bushes and my dad helped us plant them.

So over a year later...here are my azaleas in all their glory:

And Carlos said they wouldn't grow!

Palm Trees - We have 4 palms in our back yard, 3 of which have always flourished. Palms do really well in Dallas as long as you water them occasionally in the summer and be diligent about protecting them against the freeze in the winter. Apparently, this winter was a little much for our Mexican fan palms because I don't see a whole lot of fanning going on.

     

So for the "thumbery summary":

Inside plants - do nothing but sporadic watering

- Numerous lucky bamboo = killed

- 2 orchids = blooming

Outside plans - meticulous care

- Encore azaleas = blooming like crazy

- Mexican fan palms = dead; definitely not fanning

The only thing I can decipher from all of this is that I apparently have one green thumb and one brown one and should probably keep my 'thumbing' to shopping at "THE Thumb" as shopping is something I'm much more skilled at.