Flower power

One of the nice things about hosting a dinner party is that your friends walk through the door with some thoughtful hostess gifts.  I have to admit that I hadn’t thought for one second that my co-workers would bring gifts when they came to be guinea pigs for my new recipe, but they did.

I was the lucky recipient of a delicious bottle of wine and two (that’s right, two) beautiful potted plants.  Yes, potted plants like the kind I kill…

…and resuscitate…

But, I’m here to promise that I am not making the same mistakes again.  No, I have two new beautiful plants that I love (making a total of 3 in our house) and I am going to make them thrive!  I may need your help, of course.  You might need to remind me once a week to water them, okay?

First up we have this beautiful bunch of pink tulips, which have brightened up our kitchen immensely.

Gorgeous, right?  As the novice gardener (if I can even call myself novice), I assumed that once the blooms pass, I could re-plant the bulbs.  But a bit of research produced this explanation on the Country Living website:

“These days, most tulips are bred as annuals, the producers having sacrificed the original perennial nature of the bulb in exchange for bigger and better flowers. Even the ones meant for planting outside are generally good only for a year or two before the bulb peters out. When your tulip is done flowering, your only recourse is to toss it.”

So, you’re telling me I don’t even have a chance of harming this plant?  I can just enjoy it until it dies? Fabulous!

Next up is this beautiful Campanula plant with soft purple flowers, in a terrific planter.  It is greeting us every time we walk in the door, and looks very sharp next to our everlasting citrus decor.

This one is meant to live, though, so I will have to put my game face on.  Here are the tips I dug up on caring for Campanula:

• Campanula is a trailing plant, which works well for an indoor pot or hanging basket.
• Flowers should be removed as they die and the plant should be trimmed back as necessary.
• Normal room temperatures are fine for this plant.
• In terms of watering, mist the plant frequently and keep the soil just moist.
• Feed the plant every two weeks (does this mean I need to buy plant food!?)
• If all of the blooms die off, the plant will likely flower again in the warmer summer months with more sunlight and water.

So, it’s a good thing that I see this plant in the entryway every day.  I’ll have no excuse for not caring for it!

Now the bigger question is: did my co-workers plot to bring me planted flowers as a test?  If so, they know me well enough to know that I’m always up for a challenge.  I’ll show them and keep our friend-ferns alive!  (Sorry, I couldn’t help but use the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days love-fern reference…)