Monday, September 04, 2006

Here a pot, there a pot

The main reason why I signed the lease for my current apartment almost as soon as I saw it was because of the long patio. Of course, the building being located in a pretty neighborhood at a convenient location helped - but the double patio, with the sunshine streaming in was what majorly completed the good impression.

In my mind, I immediately visualized the patio filled with lots of plants with pretty flowers. That there were two big obstacles to actually fulfilling this vision viz. - 1) My lease agreement specifically had a clause saying that the patio should have nothing on it including brooms, deck chairs and plants (Right! I paid rent for it too I thought) 2) My gardening experience is limited to watering the potted plants my mom has at home - did not deter me even for an instant. The first obstacle did not bother me - I could see my neighbors patios filled with all kinds of stuff. The second obstacle only served to challenge me.

Anyways, I moved in and the very next weekend went hunting for plants. I had chosen some pretty flowering shrubs (yeah, the kind they have in those small tubs in the store) and was all set to buy them. Which was when I read the instructions that those flowers had to be replanted in pots. Oh! I had thought that I just had to transport them to my house, keep them on the patio and start watering them. I never knew that transplanting was an in-between step. So I took a deep breath and decided to first buy the pots (yeah, I decided to stick with the transplanting idea because I thought that would be real gardening).

Ten months later, I was yet to buy those pots. While I enjoyed the abundant sunshine from the patio, it had nothing more than two blue-colored beach chairs on it. No plant, no flowers, nothing. Hmm, I thought that I really should buy those pots soon.

Finally, my procrastination got defeated from an unexpected quarters. My colleague at work, S, had some mud pots which she wanted to give away. I immediately perked up and volunteered to take them. Here, at along last, were my pots. Now I would feel compelled to use them. Yaay :-)!

Three weeks ago, those pots rattled away to glory in the boot of my car as I drove home (really, I need to be given an award for not forseeing the rattling. I swear, after I pulled out and drove away, at the very first signal, I almost got a heart attack when the pots banged against the sides of the boot as I slowed down!). Once home, I unloaded them onto the patio. I just had to get the plants and I would be all set.

This weekend, the grand event finally happened. I went to Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) to get plants and soil. I have never been to OSH before and I looked like a villager in a candy store as I gaped at all the gardening related paraphernalia. I tried to not look too newbie-like and managed to pick out potting soil, gardening gloves as well as two "annual" plants. The only reason I picked out the annuals was because a) they were cheap b) if I was going to kill plants, I might as well start off with inexpensive ones.


Then it was back home. The very next morning was "gardening" day. I put the plants into different pots filled with potting soil. Then I realized that I did not have enough pots to plant all the saplings I had. I need to go and buy more pots now (and this time, I really hope I do it soon). Anyhow, this is what my plants look like at the end of it:
My plants are two days old now. And they are still alive. Yippeeee :-D! My patio has a lovely splash of color to it. The plants are already noticed and appreciated by visitors to my apartment :-). I am a happy person now!

I am just hoping that this happy status of affairs will continue and my dear plants won't die on me. I am hoping further that, maybe, they will at least shoot out a couple of flowers under my tender care. Amen to that!

13 comments:

Prasanna said...

Congrats! Lovely ones, beautiful colors...I am sure they will thrive well and make their owner proud ;0)

Archana said...

Prasanna - thank you, thank you! Hope your words come true :-D!

Sayesha said...

I'm a plant-killer who really wants to grow some plants at her place X-(

All the best for your plants. :)

BZ said...

Hey Arch,

The plants look beautiful. :--) And good luck with growing them. It is not too difficult to maintain the plants, just water them as instructed and they would do just fine. :--)

I got the plants from a nursery the first time and lucky for me, they showed me how to repot, and change the soil and stuff.

Do keep us posted. :--))

Prabhu said...

Hope the potting mixture that you bought also has food for the plants to survive...
One advise that I got from my friend that I want to pass it on to you:

Put some thermocol (i know its not the right spelling, but whatever) cubes (small cubes) in the pot at various depths while filling the potting soil, it lets the air in and doesnt create total vacuum deep down in the roots.

rads said...

At one point in time I had thriving plants at home, and in the yard outside. Then my capability expired, and now every time I look longingly at a plant I recollect my husband's nick for me. "plant-nazi" - That surely settles my decision.

PRIDERA said...

Incidentally, we invested on the gardening project as well this weekend !! I was not very keen on that initially .. but now after all the set up is done, I sure must admit, I love to look out at my patio now.
Good luck with your gardening !

Thanu said...

My mom is so muchinto gardening and everytime she visits me she starts with how come u have no plants?

Hope u keep the plants flowering

Archana Bahuguna said...

There's cheers and thumbs up from me to you. I have been thinking of livening up my small patio for a long time but have been procrastinating.

And hey, your blog is inspiring me except for the part of having to transfer the plants to another pot. I hope I can get them all together pots with flowers home, transplanting would be a tough job for a newbie like me.

And your patio does look pretty!

Anonymous said...

oru potke ivvalvo kadhaiya. wish your plants good life :-) they must be really the blessed ones to make it to your blog ;-)

Shilpa said...

The plants look very pretty indeed !
Good luck in taking care !

Robbie said...

you accepted the chance to change the destiny of a few plants, and there they are healthy and blooming. Aren't all "life" wonderful?

Archana said...

Sayesha - thank you :-)! I hope I don't turn out to be a plant killer too :-O!

Saranya - thank you :-D! I am watering them everyday like a good girl :-)! Sure, will put up pics of their progress (now, am keeping fingers crossed)!

Prabhu - yup, this one was called "supersoil" and said it had plant food too. Thanks for the tip - I already planted them though :-(! These are kutti pots so hopefully it doesn't matter! Will use the tip for future reference!

Rads - "Plant Nazi" - LOL :-D! Yeah, too bad that the capability vanished. Maybe you should try again - it could have reappeared!

Pridera - wow, you should post pics too then! Yeah, plants spruce up a patio like nothing else :-)! Thank you!

Thanu - so, how come you have no plants :-P? Me too keeping fingers crossed!

Archana - thank you :-D! Do, do go ahead and get plants - maybe we can compare notes :-)! Don't worry yaar, the transplating bit is actually not hard - just soil and pots and you are all set (I think). Thank you :-)!

Spark - oru pot illai - 4 pots :-P! Grr - okay, you can stop ottifying now!

Shilpa - thank you :-)! Hopefully they will last till your trip!

Robbie - I hope their destiny is not to die at my hands :-0! All life is wonderful - I agree :-)!