Monday, May 14, 2012

I Have A Brown Thumb

Friday was my last PTO meeting as secretary at Mister Man's school.  It's bittersweet, but it's sort of nice to be moving on to new things - and to pass all my duties and committees to a new sucker person.  At the meeting, the board presented the three of us who were moving on from the exec board with a small token gift to thank us for our tireless efforts over the past two years (their words, not mine).

We eat received a small plant, happily decorated with thank yous and the like, in addition to a very sweet card signed by all the administration and the outgoing and incoming board.  I loved the pots they chose, as they were so sunnily cheery and bright for spring.  The yellow daisies (ummm they are daisies, right?) are perfect, too.

I'm just not sure that someone didn't choose the flowers just for me or if this was a coincidence.

You see, I have a bit of a brown thumb, except for weeds.  I do my best with plants.  I truly do.  Unfortunately each time someone gives me a plant or flower, the same thing happens.  I water them as directed.  I put them in the right kind of light, but it never fails.  The plant slowly - and sometimes not so slowly - begins to fade and wilt and die.  My mom has learned to not give me plants anymore, but some of my friends still try.

I am proud that I've had an aloe plant and kept it alive for almost three years now.  Of course, it hasn't grown an inch in those three years.  One friend has a ginormous aloe plant in her house, so I asked her advice on what to do with mine.  She shrugged and blinked, as if in surprise that she had an aloe plant sitting there.  I just ignore it, she explained.  Ignoring the aloe seems to work for her.  My poor aloe plant?  Well, it's down to one green "leaf" with the rest now browned and starting to shrivel.

So what do you think?  This is how I received my PTO plant.  Do you think someone knows me, or was this purely coincidence?


5 comments:

Pat May 14, 2012 at 1:26 PM  

Lol! OOps, someone did not water it just before presenting it to you.

I received a small pot of succulents as a thank-you for helping in a class at one of our local schools. I'm hoping it will do well. I received it 10 days ago and I still haven't watered it. That's the nice thing about succulents! You don't have to water them very often.

I've had my share of plant deaths, but also lots of successes, putting them on my plant shelf in a south-facing window in the winter time and out on my front porch in the summertime.

Hope your luck changes with potted plants. Happy spring!

Melisa Wells May 14, 2012 at 9:21 PM  

My thumb is brown too, so I can't comment. :)

Debbie May 15, 2012 at 6:32 AM  

You are a great gift to the PTO!But Michelle, sweetie, I think that is actually intended to be an outdoor plant, not a house plant despite the pretty pot they put it in. For a big pot on the porch or deck, or even planted in the ground. It is outgrowing its pot. New bigger pot, half full with dirt, add fertilizer pellets, put the plant in, fill the rest of the way. Put outside in good sun. Water, water, water. And you will have a beautiful plant. But I won't hold my breath lol. I have seen the fate of a few plants I have given you over the years.

Sandra May 15, 2012 at 4:31 PM  

Poor you and poor plant. I'm gonna say the nicest thing I can muster here: maybe the PTO is sad to see you leave, and thus gave you a sad plant to reflect the sentiment. See, I did my bestest.

I received some strawberry plants in the mail as a gift (roots and beginning leaves). I had nothing ready for them, so I put them in some soil. They started to grow. Then I got my act together and bought a strawberry planter, and replanted them. Since the transplant, all the of them except for one have wilted! I'm so sad. Hopefully they will come around after the roots strengthen up. =(

Michelle May 16, 2012 at 2:07 PM  

Pat - Nope, no one watered it... for a few days, I think. Amazingly, it has perked up a litte! Maybe I need to go after the succulents....

Melisa - I know :) At least we know we aren't alone in this, right?

Debbie - Really? See, this is why I need you to come over and help me out. You should see my giant hostas right now. They so need to be split and moved! And it's possible that I was thinking partly of you and the now dead plants you've given me. I promise, I do try!

Sandra - Oh, I'm sure it was an accident and just all the Jewel had available. The whole thing just makes me giggle. Good luck with your strawberries!

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