Village Squire, 1975-07, Page 11quivered and jiggled themselves right off the
plant!
I felt that Jennifer would, surely, surmount
this shattering loss of family and produce
many more offspring. Alas, she sprouted
leaves in every direction and, rather than
have a flowerless hulk take over my kitchen, I
cut the plant down to size.
This proved to be a bad move; she sulked
and stubbornly refused to flower. Green arms
shot out once more; longer and stronger than
ever. I felt that, one day, I would open the
fridge door and the thing would shake me by
the hand, or worse, strangle me.
Deciding I wasn't watering my plants at the
necessary intervals I invested in a pot that
holds water in abeyance and lets the plant
have slow drinks for a month. My pot dished
out the whole supply in one day and a baby
fuchsia promptly died! This was another
bitter blow; I seemed to Jae continuously in
mourning.
My brother, who had inherited the green
thumbs, gave me two plants for my hanging
baskets. I think he figured that if the plants in
my care were outside the house they might, at
least, have a fighting chance.
"They will trail down the sides," he
assured me. "There should be blue flowers in
abundance." Well....maybe....if they had
been somebody elses hanging baskets.
They were watered, weeded and watched
but not a single trail; the blue flowers eaten
by birds or bugs while still in infancy.
I was shattered; about ready to accept my
limitations when a bright idea hit me....
nasturtiums!
Now, everybody knows that nastrutiums
grow willy nilly with fair sized, edible leaves
and masses of multi -coloured flowers....but
riot mine!
I got a few tiny leaves, barely to be seen up
in the baskets, and two retarded flowers
which peered timidly over the edge, promptly
developed acrophobia and frightened them-
selves to death!
After being thwarted at every turn by
diaster I decided to suspend operations until I
was well versed in the ways of greenery. I
wore a path to the library and acquired
muscles by carrying books.
I came as a surprise to me to learn that, as
living things, plants are sensitive to
atmosphere. From then on 1 resolved to think
only nice thoughts in their presence and to
smile whenever I faced in their direction.
They sneered back at me.
My self image began to tumble; it was the
feeling I get when a dog snarls at me.
I have it figured that, if plants are as smart
as presented to be, they probably have their
own union - and I'm darned if I can locate the
shop steward.
As the management I'm lost before I begin
and, at the moment, there seems to be a
go-slow....work to rule thing going on.
What can I do? What can I offer them? If I
don't know which one is the leader how can I
approach them?
I must have a heart to heart talk with the
rubber plant before it heads out through the
roof or, better still, get my brother as
ombudsman. •
It really is too bad because, regardless or
what they think, I'm very fond of plants.
gas
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HOURS:
JUNE -SEPTEMBER
TUESDAY -SATURDAY
11.00am.-6.00pm.
OCTOBER -MAY
8Y APPOINTMENT
6 Miles South of Stratford - Follow
Highway 7 to Perth County Road 1
One Mile West of St Paul's, on
South-West Corner
Orme and Dorene Kilburn,
RR 2, St. Paul's Stn., Ont., NOK1V0
PhnnP•393-6472
Lamps
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Widest selection in the district
• Colonial
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Lodge furniture
West Street
Phone 524-7521
"Let Lodge 1it!ht your '"
Goderich
illt
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JULY 1975, 9