My Thumb is Turning Colors
I have never been good with plants, although I love to grown them and pour my little heart into them. When I get a plant, I research how to take care of it and I meticulously follow directions until it dies. I don't know why. My kids say I have a red thumb (because red is the opposite of green) or a black thumb (because I kill everything). My husband says I must get some sort of twisted kick out of torturing plants. (I don't. I want them to live. I don't know why they don't.)
But this summer I've had great luck with two plants, mostly by just ignoring them entirely.
The first is my hydrangeas. I bought two of them last year, and sent some of the flowers with the kids to flower the cross at Easter. Then, I stuck the plants themselves in my front yard, where they're apparently very happy:
The second plant that is doing amazingly well, considering it was entirely accidental and received no special care, is the hydrangeas' neighbor, and I'm trying to keep them from destroying each other:
Do you know what that is? Do you?! It's a pumpkin. We got pumpkins from St. Martin's Episcopal Church's pumpkin patch last Halloween, and one of them, when it started to get squishy, got buried in my front yard. I didn't think it would actually grow. (The other two got buried in the backyard. I've seen no signs that they decided to sprout.)
I don't know if we'll get any actual pumpkins growing from it, since I'm not sure about our pollinator population, and I'm too lazy to pollinate by hand. I might give it a try as a science experiment for the kiddos, though - that could be fun. Hmmm...
I suppose, anyway, that I should stop worrying so much about my plants and just ignore them. They seem to do better that way.
Links!
But this summer I've had great luck with two plants, mostly by just ignoring them entirely.
The first is my hydrangeas. I bought two of them last year, and sent some of the flowers with the kids to flower the cross at Easter. Then, I stuck the plants themselves in my front yard, where they're apparently very happy:
The second plant that is doing amazingly well, considering it was entirely accidental and received no special care, is the hydrangeas' neighbor, and I'm trying to keep them from destroying each other:
Do you know what that is? Do you?! It's a pumpkin. We got pumpkins from St. Martin's Episcopal Church's pumpkin patch last Halloween, and one of them, when it started to get squishy, got buried in my front yard. I didn't think it would actually grow. (The other two got buried in the backyard. I've seen no signs that they decided to sprout.)
I don't know if we'll get any actual pumpkins growing from it, since I'm not sure about our pollinator population, and I'm too lazy to pollinate by hand. I might give it a try as a science experiment for the kiddos, though - that could be fun. Hmmm...
I suppose, anyway, that I should stop worrying so much about my plants and just ignore them. They seem to do better that way.
Links!
- Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike
- The Archivist Files: Why the woman who started LA's branch libraries was fired Los Angeles, that is - not Louisiana.
- Online exclusive: a new short story by Neil Gaiman It's called "Click-clack the Rattlebag" and it's very good.
- Proof copy of The Bell Jar found by student expected to fetch thousands
- The Most Popular Book Set in Each State — in One Surprising Map Stephen King is all over the map (mostly with The Stand, although Louisiana stars The Green Mile), and Neil Gaiman makes a strong show, with two states covered by American Gods.
- Elsevier clashes with researchers over open access publishing for academic texts
- Mohammed cartoon contest: Protest held outside Phoenix mosque "Protesters at Friday's 'Freedom of Speech' rally outside a Phoenix mosque were met by counterprotesters."
- Net & Tech
- Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht Sentenced to Life in Prison
- This Lamp Doesn't Need Batteries, Fuel Or Even The Sun That is too cool...
- This Alloy Can Withstand 10 Million Transformations
- Health & Science
- Seller of “Miracle Mineral Solution” Convicted for Marketing Toxic Chemical as a Miracle Cure "A federal jury in the Eastern District of Washington returned a guilty verdict yesterday against a Spokane, Washington, man for selling industrial bleach as a miracle cure for numerous diseases and illnesses, including cancer, AIDS, malaria, hepatitis, lyme disease, asthma and the common cold..."
- Seventh case of meningococcal disease linked to University of Oregon
- Believe It Or Not, This Isn't A Snake. So What Is It? Neat!
- Watch Japanese Volcano Mount Shindake Erupt
- 20-Year-Old to Launch World’s First Ocean Cleaning System Next Year
- Education
- Do you homeschool? You should definitely check this out: Making History: A K-12 Time-Travel Curriculum for Makers Do you teach, and are you interested in cross-subject, hands-on curriculum? You should also check it out. Do you know of a school that would be interested in this curriculum, or would you like to donate it to a school that wants it but can't afford it? Go check this out. Seriously, everyone - go check it out. I would really, really like to see the whole project funded!
- 11 Bad Habits Schools Are Teaching Our Kids
- SPEDGate: How the Louisiana Department of Education is Misappropriating Millions of Dollars a Year from their Federal Special Education Funding for Cronies and Political Favors "This illegal misappropriation of public money has left many special education students, parents, and district staff without the support those federal funds were mandated to provide."
- LSU athletics donating to academics
- Sen. Al Franken: Millions of Americans Are Struggling to Pay Off Student Loan Debt & It’s Damaging Economic Growth
- International
- Swedish dads told to take more paternity leave Jealous of Sweden...
- Other (Serious)
- United Airlines faces criticism after Muslim woman is denied an unopened can of soda
- Studies Confirm the Dehumanization of Black Children and the ‘Preschool-to-Prison Pipeline’
- The New Art of Poor-Shaming Related: The Hunger Games: New CBS reality show exploits poor families by making them grovel for $101,000 How is this even a real thing??
- Public transportation can be a ride out of poverty
- Obama signs disaster declaration for Texas as storm's death toll increases
- House bill would require gun owners to have liability insurance
- Jon Stewart Dismantles The Idea That Bernie Sanders Is An Unelectable ‘Kook'
- Bernie Sanders Intends to Strike at the Heart of the Prison Industrial Complex He'll need a wooden stake, some garlic, and a crucifix, right?
- Justice Department Drops Investigation Of Black Man's Hanging In Mississippi
- U.S. Removes Cuba From State-Sponsored Terrorism List
- Other (Interesting Stuff)
- 11 Delightful Icelandic Words and Phrases I will definitely be adopting "window-weather," and I think "To Lay Your Head in Water" would make an excellent title for a book. I'd read that book.
- Rats in Africa are saving tons of lives in the most badass way possible And now I want a pet rat, because rats are very cool.
- Qwerkywriter Typewriter Inspired Mechanical Keyboard I want this way more than a pet rat...
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