A thumb of a different color ...

Marlene Terry

Never have been one to boast about my "green thumb" abilities.

I mean try as I might I just have never been able to catch on to the secret of gorgeous flowers without much effort, bountiful crops in the tiniest garden space, or even how to make house plants thrive.

I know they're out there ... super gardeners who, like a daughter of mine, have the knack to be able to fill their baskets with every kind of produce imaginable. 
Mary plants and grow peas, beans, tomatoes and cucumbers in grow boxes of-all-things, harvests them and even has enough to share with others. ... And it's those kind of people who just look at me and laugh whenever I share my "hardship with plants" stories.

My hubby, who for obvious reasons has sole charge of our veggie garden, can tell you. There have been times when plants seem to visibly wilt with the news that I will be their caretaker.

Actually he even hesitated a few days ago when he knew he would have to turn over just the watering duties to me while he was gone for a few days.

"You know that you can't stand over the plants with the hose running full force on them, don't you?" He questioned me before he left.

And everything went well until a few evenings ago when a fast moving storm arrived.

There was thunder of course, lightning and wind. Lots of it. And when the skies cleared there was some cleanup needed to clear the yard of leaves, broken tree limbs and ... ugh!

I'm not exactly sure what happened to the clematis (see photo), that has grown "like a weed," so to speak up the trellis. ... Really. It's been so prolific my hubby has had to cut it back almost on a daily basis.

Knowing my history with growing things, it's going to be a stretch for him to believe that following the storm, I just walked out to the front yard and found the plant, still attached to the trellis, but wrecked after being ripped up by the roots from its place in the garden next to the house.

... Hmm. Wonder if he'd go for a dramatized, with tears, "the plant" sniff, sob, sniff ... "committed suicide" account? ... Worth a try. I think!

♦ Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.