Growing A Green Thumb

My mom has a green thumb. She can keep anything alive and grow just about anything. My dad claims to have a black thumb, anything he tries to grow dies. So my chances of having a green thumb were 50/50. I seriously thought for a while that I had a black thumb. Just about everything I tried to grow was dying! Even the most hardiest of plants weren't staying alive. I did some research and readjusted my pot selection, turns out not all of my planters were draining right. I was also watering way too much which caused the roots to rot and gnats to infest.. which is when I sprayed the soil with gnat killer.. which then killed all my baby sprouts and the succulents! So, it's still a learning process. 

I don't feel like I have a black thumb, I feel like I'm learning to have a green thumb.. because now I'm not sure it's a genetic thing at all. It's a learned thing, something that takes talent. Luckily my mom is a short drive away where i can take sick plants and have her help. Or a text or call a way if I have any questions. 

Today I wanted to post some photos of the plants that I have been able to keep alive and some of the things I've learned through the process of growing into a green thumb. 

This is a little tree that sprouted from an apricot seed! My mom saved this little tree for me. It's actually a mini tree from my tree when I as little! I used to climb my apricot tree and talk to it. This is where Talk2thetrees came from! My apricot tree has grown a lot bigger since I've grown too. The big mamma tree dropped seeds, and had babies.. and now I have one of the babies! It's growing on my front porch in a big pot for now... until I settle down myself and plant it in my own yard.. Who knows how long that will be. 

Little baby leaves from my Money Tree! I got this money tree from Ikea actually and it's HUGE. It sits next to my art station and I love watching the baby leaves grow each day. I've found these trees don't need a whole lot of water at all. Trial and error has taught me this! 

I'm not sure what these two are called, as they were picked from another plant, set in water for a few days until roots formed, now they are healthy rooted plants in soil! 

A Red Wizard, sadly this one is very sick after the gnat incident.

My mint, lemon balm, rosemary in the window, and the larger ones I've had for almost 3 years now! I bought them on clearance when I first moved into my house! They were tiny plants that were very sick, but I bought them for the new house, and they are getting huge! 

Little sprouts of my Moon Lillies.

Sage, hyssop and comfrey in the temple room. 

Another shot of one of my clearance plants. Anyone have any idea what this is? 

A little sprout from a spider plant! These plants send out little shoots.. these shoots can be put in water until roots grow! 

Basil works the same way. You can pick of a stem and put it in water, and roots will eventually sprout out. Then you can plant that into soil. There are actually many plants you can do that with! 

Like these guys. I'm not sure what these are called as Sterling's Step mom gave them to me nearly a year ago. They are usually outdoor plants, but I've kept them alive indoors and now have them growing in several pots. 

This is my Bleeding Heart plant. I have this growing on my front porch too. This has been one of my favorite flowers since I was little. We bought it a few months ago and it's gotten huge! 

And finally, this is a little sprout from a lemon seed I planted. 

My mom once planted a seed from a grapefruit she was eating and it sprouted into a tree. My ultimate green thumb test.. I planted a seed from a lemon, and from a grapefruit, and the lemon seed has already sprouted! The little grapefruit seed is well on it's way.. I can already see some green! 

I love having plants in my house, and I hate to see them sick or die, but I'm still learning...  

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