My Plant
May 7, 2008 at 4:18 PM I bought a plant for my apartment yesterday. I've been wanting to get one for a while now, but I wasn't sure what kind to get. I ended up getting a gardenia. Here it is:
Elvis wants to eat it:
I've never really had a plant before and wanted one that's easy to care for, but every time I'd go somewhere to buy one and tell the sales person this, they'd try to sell me a cactus. I don't want a cactus. A cactus isn't a plant to me. I want a pretty plant, one with leaves.
So anyway, the sales person at the place I bought this from yesterday tried to sell me a million different kinds of easy-to-care-for plants, but when I saw the gardenias with their pretty flowers, I decided that that's the kind that I wanted.
As it turns out, gardenias aren't the easiest thing to care for, but I'm going to do it. I'm going to get this puppy blooming year after year. I did a little bit of internet research and learned that they like the heat and need a lot of sun, so I put the little bugger on the fire escape for now:
I'll keep you posted on her progress. (I decided it's a girl.)
She has about three or four buds on her right now; I'll take pictures when they bloom.
Reader Comments (14)
pretty! good luck! that is a pretty ambitious starter plant. :)
you will LOVE IT when it blooms. gardenia is my favorite scent and when i was in paris i went to rue cambon to get the boutique gardenia scent from the original store. AND i planted them in my yard AND i sent one to my mom who lives in MA and its still alive. YOU CAN DO IT
oh cool! I wish you lots of luck with your new plant. I kill them all so I gave up.
What's her name? Maybe Gigi or something else more interesting... lol
My gardenia is very big as in outside big. I put big flat bowls (like fruit bowls)filled to shallow water in rooms and float the gardenias. One in the computer room, one next to my bed.
Honey evens changes the bloom sand the water for me.
Here's a green thumb's up to you! I can't grow shit.
You need to repot it. That pot is too small.
Get a larger pot, more potting soil and Miracle Grow wouldn't hurt either.
Good Luck!
And whatever you do, do NOT touch the buds that haven't opened. They will fall off.
be careful that elvis doesn't actually eat it. besides it killing your girl it may hurt him, some plants are poisonous to animals. good choice, they are SO pretty! good luck!
Ooh! Good luck with your gardenia. They are such pretty flowers. =)
Having cats is the #1 reason I don't have indoor plants. Of course, I do have a yard. But reason #2 is my brown thumb. They require too much attention. I have, however, considered getting one for my office. I don't have to worry about it dying, because I know the plant ladies, (who care for the company-provided plants) won't let it. LOL
Karyn,
Interesting what you found on gardenias cause I found the opposite doing a simple google search!? That they want indirect sunlight and not scorching heat or humidity - that they'll actually bloom best in about 50 degree temps.
I took my mom's over last year, and the thing is growing growing like crazy, but no blooms yet. I heard epson salts in the soil will help it bloom after year one? Haven't tried though.
EASY plant is ivy. Get a couple of those. And pothos - esp photos. I bought one 12 years ago in college for .75 cents. My friend killed it and I revived it.
I bought a Bonsai tree and named her Stella.
For I wanted to be a green-thumb kind of fella.
I trimmed and pruned,
Sang her happy tunes,
But she died anyway- poor Stella.
(good luck- what's her name?)
Gardenia is my favorite scent. It reminds me of my childhood. I hope it does well.
Good idea Frank about naming the plant. I like Betty. My bike's name is Betty, but I think it works for plants as well.
lbluca77- I have three bikes- two Specialized and one Peugeot and I've aways wanted to name them-- I get sick of calling them Reddy, Bluey and the Junk.