Mother's Day all year round

I would love to have a green thumb! I have a garden out back that we use to grow fresh veggies in the summer, and if we do get anything edible, I'm always amazed. Dave buys me a hanging basket every year for Mother's Day, and its usually a hanging basket of dirt by the 4th of July. I make a effort to keep them alive, but my best efforts have proved useless. Until now...

Last year for Mother's Day, A.'s class had all the moms in for Mother's Day tea. They made cards for us with little tea bags, we had a snack together, and the kids put tulip hats on and sang some songs about their mommies. Probably one of the most heart-warming afternoons I'll remember (especially when he's a sullen teenager). A. did a craft decorating a flower pot during the week, and I had a planted flower at my place setting when I arrived at the school. At first I grumbled...."great, another thing for me to kill...then do I have to save the pot since it's one of his art projects?" Quite the conundrum... So, I brought it home and threw some water on it intermittently...and waited for the plant to meet its demise.

Now, almost 8 months later, the plant is not only living, it's thriving. It's grown to almost 11 1/2 inches tall- starting at around 2 1/2. It continues to bloom- despite the colder temps near the window and lower amount of sunlight. If it doesn't die soon, we'll have to replant it since it has obviously outgrown its original receptacle. Stay tuned to the Mother's Day gift that never ends! We'll be sure to keep you posted.