June 18, 2022

Changing directions on strawberries


Last year, or maybe the year before since one does lose track of time, I bought a five-tier planter that was marketed for strawberries. Nope. Strawberries wouldn't successfully grow in it. The soil is too shallow and it dried out too fast. And I did worry that the planter may not be BPA-free and the strawberries *could* absorb bad chemicals. When in doubt, change direction. This year, I decided that the planter could be better used for begonias. 

My maternal grandmother loved red begonias (wax plants to some). Where I live, they are treated as annual bedding plants or as houseplants. I'm so pleased with this planting that this fall I'll bring in one red and one white plant to winter over. Next spring I'll start cuttings and plant them again.

A love of wax plants is just one thing my grandmother passed on to me. I think of her when I look at my little planter and that's important. When we remember our loved ones, they're still with us, and she is still with me.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)


Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, annual plantings, begonias, wax plants, gardening, rural lifestyle, houseplants, a writer's life, memories, simple country pleasures




No comments: