Plant Update

My plant is growing up.  :)

Here's how it happened:  See those leaves?  They have become increasingly yellow for a few weeks, and I have been worried about them perhaps more than I've worried about anything in that time.  I had been doing a good job keeping my little Vinca alive and flowering, but then the yellow!  What could it be???  Was I watering it too much?  Too little?  My cousin told me it requires a lot of sunlight, but was I giving it too much?

I thought it must be the soil, so I changed it this week, and when I did, I noticed the roots were growing out of control!  I put it back in it's baby pot and decided to ask my mom for advice.  When she came to visit, she agreed with me.  She said it probably needed a bigger pot.  So yesterday morning after cleaning the church building, I went to Wal-Mart and bought soil* and a pot two sizes up.  I re-potted it and watered it while I watched The Cutting Edge, and there it is, pictured above, in all it's grown-up glory.  I hope, hope, hope it turns green again.  I want that little plant to stay alive so badly!

Six months ago, I would've said I didn't want anything to do with plants.  That people either had green thumbs or they didn't, and I didn't.  I admired my mom, Heather, Alissa, Michelle, and Carrie because not only did they want to keep plants alive, they could keep them alive.  I only sort of wanted to, and I definitely couldn't.  But honestly, I never really tried.  I never cared enough to do it.  For some reason, something clicked inside my brain this year.  When I got that plant on Mother's Day, I wanted to keep it growing for as long as I could.  Perhaps that's all you really need to have a green thumb: a desire to keep something alive.  My little Vinca may die, but I will fight to keep that from happening.  I dunnno . . .  There's just something truly incredible to me about watching it grow.

And so.  To mom, Heather, Alissa, Michelle, and Carrie:  I am in awe of your desire and talent for keeping things alive.  I think you are all so smart.  So smart and so patient.  It's no wonder you are some of the finest people I know.


*There were planting tips and frequently-asked questions on the back of the soil bag.  One of the questions was, "How can I tell if my plant needs to be re-potted?"  It listed two of the three signs as "leaves wilting and turning yellow," and "little to no new growth."  Ha!  Wonderful!  I guess my mom and I were right!


Thing I'm thankful for: modern medicine.  Gotta love Advil Gel Tablets!