Monday, January 30, 2012

Gramma's Green Thumb


This Monday Morning I walked into my office and found an explosion of new growth on my "African Beauty" my affectionate name for the African Violet I rescued and revived.  A few months back - my colleagues and I "cleaned house" in our wing.  One thing we found was a near dead African Violet in the conference room.  African Violets have always been a sentimental plant for me.  My gramma used to always have several amidst her cadre of plants growing in her home.  So when I saw the sad office African violet - a twinge of emotion - probably a mix of the happy memories in my grandmothers home and the sadness I still feel in her absence - I volunteered to do my best to resuscitate it.

Mind you - I have two plants in my home and one in my office.  All three of which my mom says are "easy" plants to grow.  I lack a lot in the green thumb department.  I nearly failed College Botany with our plant projects where we had to grow an assortment of plants.  EEK.  So for me to resuscitate such a delicate plant was nothing short of a miracle. 

With some assistance from a Plant Expert colleague, I trimmed two of the remaining green leaves, grew roots on them for a few weeks and then delicately planted them in some fresh soil.  For what seemed like FOREVER, it was just two old leaves stuck in a pot of soil.  Then one morning, I came in and two little leaves were poking their little green heads through the soil, like sleepy children early in the morning, peeking out of their covers. 

As much as I often dread Monday mornings, I like coming in to see the growth on my African Beauty.  It seems like the quiet always does her good. But this morning - wow! - she has really taken shape.  As I watered her with her special food this morning, I though my gramma would be so proud of me!  And then I laughed to myself - because I can just imagine me telling her and her with her typical nonexcitable self would spat "well, sis, that isn't hard to do, anyone could do that".  I loved that woman!  Oh... and today my African Beauty reminds me of how much I miss her.  But so happy for all that she has passed on to me. 

Grandma, if you can hear me now, I hope I have made you proud.  Love you and miss you so much!

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