An azalea experiment

Anyone who knows me well will tell you I definitely do not have a green thumb. Brown, or maybe even black, is much more like it.

At Easter time, our church family will often bring plants to beautify the sanctuary and will specify that these are in memory of certain loved ones. My hubby and I always get a plant in memory of his dad and also of a dear "adopted daughter" of ours, a friend of our daughter's who died at 18. The last couple of years we've bought azaleas, as they are very pretty and seem to last better than tulips, daffodils, etc. This year we got a gorgeous, healthy azalea in a magenta hue.

Now usually, I set these plants outside after their stint of beautifying the church. And they usually die, because we still have plenty of freezing weather after Easter. This year, the azalea kept looking so nice, I figured out a way to keep it in the house, utilizing a nice pot and plant stand we'd bought for a wedding a few years back. When most of the blossoms finally fell off, I moved the plant to the back porch. I watered it when I thought of it, poured off excess water after heavy rain, and that was about all I did. It stayed pretty green and healthy looking.

Against all odds, the plant was still alive this fall. Last week I dug a hole and planted it. It's only an experiment, and if the azalea doesn't make it, I'll uproot it in the spring. But any plant that could survive 6 months of "care" by me deserves a fighting chance to live through the winter!