from my window | benign neglect and the african violet

this is Flo... Before I moved into the woods, I was apartment-living right in the heart of Portland. For years I cultivated various house plants. Everything from an Asparagus Fern, to a Rosary Vine, to Lime Geraniums. You name it, I tried to grow it. The only complete failure I had over all those years was the African Violet. Though I tried several times, I never had one survive too long. Maybe it was because I cared for them too much. I mean you go to your local home store and you'll find special African Violet planting mixes or African Violet food/soil supplements. Compared to all of my other plants, these African Violets were high maintenance to say the least.

While I struggled through a losing battle with this plant, my mother sang the praises of Flo... the African Violet that sat on my parent's kitchen table in their summer farmhouse. Flo was, and continues to be, the most amazing African Violet ever. She has thrived for 24 years on complete benign neglect. 24 years! She would sit on that kitchen table for months straight without any water before my parents would return and finally quench her thirst. And all this talk of special soil... Flo is planted in pretty much ten tablespoons of dirt and has never had a repotting ever.

When my parents left Maine, I inherited my mother's beloved Flo. For years when we talked on the phone, my mom would often ask how Flo was doing. She always said that her favorite part of coming up to the farmhouse was opening the door and being greeted by Flo's beautiful flowers. Today, whenever I gaze at Flo, I think of my mom and smile.