Plant Diaries (Day 16) 08 July 2013

Who said that peer pressure was a bad thing?  Well they have obviously never seen the awesome results you get when those around you are all doing the cool thing and you want to be part of the group. You may sense the excitement in my voice (well if not now, how about with this flipping hippo)...


But the reason I have been skipping and jumping, bouncing and prouncing, hopping and scotching, is that there has been some serious growth in the balcony garden.  No more is it just a pot with soil, but now a pot with soil, and plants.

First the marjoram smashed through the soil, 11 days in,to join spinach out in the big wide world and a day later, parsley saw that all the cool kids were doing it and joined the festivities.  Everyone was waiting for the peppers to join the party, but there is always one, always one who has to be different.  One buffalo among all the pigeons.

So over the next couple days, I made sure that the team had lots of water and adequate sun time, and obviously they told their friends about what a great time they were having, because more and more green shoots started popping up.  It was so amazing.  Soon it was like, 'oh my god, there are so many green shoots popping up. This is so amazing'.

The anxiety whether I would be a complete failure at my first attempt at gardening has dissipated and been replaced by my excitement for harvesting these babies and putting them on some food.  Parsley is good for sauces, marjoram for Italian food like pizza and pasta, and spinach... is good for scurvy (#eddieizzardreference).  But harvesting is still a couple of months away and still a lot of growing ahead.  I am going to have to continuously have to check up and care for these plants, only as a constant gardener will I be able to reap what I sow (#rachelweiszreference).

So for now, all is well in the world of the pot, with everyone playing nicely together.  Just going to have to keep an eye out for marjoram sneaking into parsley's sector.  As previously discussed, this may be acceptable to some cultures in different, less plant-like societies, but here it is just not on.

I even heard some of the parsley say the other day, when they saw how close the marjoram was getting, that 'hear goes the neighbourhood, next thing you know they'll be wanting to vote' (parsley is however known to be notoriously racist).  But still, you have to be cautious.  You know how it is with herbs, you give an inch and all of a sudden they want representatives at the AGM.  They can't have representatives at the AGM, they're plants.

It might seem harsh now, but its better for the future.  Different plants need to be cared for in different ways, some more water, some less.  Some need lots of sun, while others just the tip.  It's like when your parents put your hand on the stove to prepare you for life's harsh lessons.  They'll thank me when they big.