http://sofloridagardening-sanddune.blogspot.com/2009/04/defining-moments-april-13-2009.html
One of the first goal was to transform my garden without spending a lot on plants. To me this means learning to propagate my own from seeds or cuttings or generous fellow gardeners who wished to donate a plant or two
for the good of the order.
Well today I backslid from the slow progress I had been making. I saw this Bougainvillea at a garden shop and had to buy it. It cost $5.00 US. I know that I can propagate this plant from a stem cutting for free. How does one free themselves from the urge of instant gratification. It is not the price it is the principal that I need to work on. This was one step back.
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As I was leaving the garden shop with this plant siren I felt kind of ashamed . But to push on and plant this I began to redeem myself back in line with my goals. I selected a clay pot that I had salvaged and stored behind my shed to reuse to put him in. A solid hit for goal two to reuse and recycle things I would have previously thrown away.
Next I made my first withdrawal from my poorman's compost bin started earlier this year. http://sofloridagardening-sanddune.blogspot.com/2009/04/back-to-basics.html
I took my wire cutters and cut a small door in the chicken wire to access the compost at the bottom with my garden spade. The compost came out black and rich and just like the garden potting mix I usually have to buy. This was a monumental turning point for me when I realized that I was actually going to use my own compost and not have to buy dirt. It may not sound like much but to me priceless. I actually believe as I dug out the composted soil that I heard The theme song from the old Beverly Hillbillies TV show playing behind me. YES, there was Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs wailing on the banjo in their best bluegrass style and the lyrics "Black Gold - Texas Tea" as I pulled out that rich soil. HA, a step forward.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway getting back to the story. As I started mixing the compost with some of my yard soil {sand} in the recycled pot
I began to feel better. I realized that that the goal of being more self sufficient is a long road of learning and actions. I'm thinking that maybe my forward step was longer than the one back and I am still making progress toward my goals.
Besides you got to admit the finished product sure looks good.
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Well, sometimes you have to balance facts with feelings.
ReplyDeleteA plant such as you purchased is a mature plant, notice that it is blooming. One that you started from seed would have to mature before it would bloom, and sometimes that takes awhile.
A cutting would be a mature plant, thus will bloom right away, but it may take considerable time to attain any size.
I look at it like this. You now have a mature plant that you can start cutting from, and have as many plants as you desire, for not much money.
And sometimes, we just have to feed that plant lust, and buy a plant!
I would have bought this plant. Very nice.
Janie, Thanks for stopping by. I usually stop by the garden centers for entertainment so I can laugh what they are charging for the plants. By doing this I can guage how valuable is the knowledge I am gaining by propagating my own plants. Its either that or frugality that makes loath myself when I buy a plant at there crazy prices in the stores. And Yes, Frugality is a big city word meaning tightwad.
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