The mint plant

I started to take an interest in gardening when I understood that growing flowers and other plants could help me cultivate that patience which I needed so much on my creative writing adventure. I began this little game of dirtying my hands in the soil during the first lockdown, with that single little sprig of mint which remained after that I completely neglected the seasoning herbs that my mother-in-law used to take care of. 

Have to say that I wasn’t at all optimist about the fact that mint in abundance would grow again in this little lump of soil, especially after that I found the sprig dead on the next day. But I refused my idea of the fact that I wouldn’t be able to revive this plant like everything else that I wrote so badly, thus I watered it, with hope that a little new leaf will grow out from this dead plant… and you know what! To my great surprise, two days later, beautiful, healthy green leaves grew out from the soil. 

In fact, to get a helping hand to grow, the deeply buried propagated roots of the mint plant only needed to be fed with water; it simply needed daily nourishment, and to be taken care of by someone.

Unfortunately, as I recently gave all of my attention to Soft Lands, re-editing my blogposts, writing that story for submission, and to so many other things, I’ve been again neglecting the mint plant. I thought that these daily winter drizzle would suffice to nourish them, but it seems that I was wrong; I think that these plants need to be watered by hands two times per day… perhaps plants too want love like humans do.

The flowers and the thyme plant

Afterwards I bought a Gustav pink double flower begonia, a blood-leaf plant, marigold, a blue plumbago, and thyme, which I cared for with all my heart, hoping that in between my caring hands they’ll become big and strong, beautifully blooming seasons through… but I guess that a girl who comes from the city has some difficulties with growing things, thus, when I transferred the blood-leaf plant in the soil of the front yard, these red leaves that allured me at first sight started to gradually fade. Then it withered. Afterwards it died. From the start I should have Googled ‘how to take care of iresine plants’. Poor little plant, I couldn’t save her. 

The begonia gave me these beautiful little pink flowers that appear in many photos that accompany my blogposts; thus I thought that if I took her out from that tight flower pot to transplant her in the soil, she’ll eventually get the freedom to bloom more, but sadly, she started to slowly wither; but this time, having learned from my mistakes, I immediately transferred her back to a flower pot… It revived and gave out some flowers… but afterwards she stopped flourishing. Is the flowerpot too small? I still don’t know, I’ll have to inform myself through search as soon as I get the time.

As for the blue plumbago, its ravishing baby-blue flowers blossomed, but the plant didn’t become bushy as I expected; it remained in the same size as when I bought it. I think that I didn’t dig deep enough the soil in which I transplanted it, or perhaps the soil is not enough nourishing and fertile for some of these plants. Its leaves are also starting to dry up and brittle… I think that I should water it instead of trusting winter’s daily light rain… I tend to forget that I live in a very sunny and dried part of Mauritius.

The marigold plant was the one that I was the most proud of, for each time one stem died, another one was already blooming due to the fact that we always reseeded the seeds of the dried flowers. It even valiantly resisted these powdery mildew infections. It was holding on, blooming wonderfully, cultivating my hope and patience. 

The last time I saw Marigold, her flowerpot was filled with tiny sprouts. I was so proud, saying to myself that soon photos of her will appear on this blog, alongside articles about how she helped me to cultivate patience… but to my disappointment, all sprouts of marigold had mysteriously disappeared the next day. Was it someone who pluck them? Or was it these big snails that ate them all? Until now, it’s still a mystery.

And as for the thyme plant, it died after the passage of the cyclone. I’ve recently seeded some new seeds that are beginning to germinate.

I then bought a cracklin Rosie begonia, a canna lily, a dwarf anthurium, and a purple heart. The begonia died. I put it in the shade of the backyard and continue to take care of it, hoping that it will flourish again.

The giant snails have eaten all of the purple heart, which I’m trying again to grow from sprout. Right now it’s doing well. I’ll have to look for a bigger flower pot for her.

The canna lily is growing at its pace, as you can see in the picture above. And as for the dwarf anthurium, I’ll have to transplant it in a bigger pot.

I also recently seeded zinnia and chilli seeds, both are germinating.

I’m loving this little new hobby of mine, and I hope to have more time to search about how to care for them, and as well as grow more plants and flowers. 

Indeed, growing flowers and other type of plants has helped me a lot to understand how patience work, I, who is very impatient by nature. 

All living things take time to grow and bloom, that’s a fact, and during our growth we all go through so many experiences, trials and errors, rise and fall, and where we have to walk on that pathway with patience as companion. I found that during their growth plants meet with nuisances, die when they grow in the wrong place, or even when they are not well taken care of; but I also witnessed the revival of some of these dying plants after persistent care, or when they were transferred to a more viable area, and where I came to understand that gardening really helps me to cultivate patience during my blogging and authorpreneur journey.