Remembering Grandma

As a child during the 1950's, Sunday dinners at my maternal grandmothers apartment were both frequent and regular.  Her second floor apartment came with a covered porch that ran the length of the building.  Grandma had flower boxes spread all across the front edge of the porch railing.  I remember brightly colored leaves that included the colors red, yellow and green.  Those plants were likely coleus.  She also had a row of drinking glasses filled with water and pieces of plants.  Masses of roots crowded together in the glasses.  Grandma called these plants slips and indicated that sometimes she was able to grow new plants from what was growing in the glasses.

Recently, Becky accidentally broke off a piece of Rosemary.  Wanting to see some new green, she placed the stem in a cup of water on the kitchen windowsill.  Some time passed before roots appeared.  Today we decided that it was time to move the growing plant piece into dirt.  We have sixty gallons of carefully prepared potting soil in cans in the basement.  The bright red pot was chosen in honor of Valentine's Day!  Everything we needed was at hand.  Expecting nothing we will keep this piece of plant watered.  It is placed in the warmest spot in the house.  With luck, we will have a young plant to place alongside of the veterans on the patio this summer.  In any event, I have come away from this activity today with fond memories of my grandmother and her impact on my interest in gardening.