Actually, as I draft this post, I realize that that is NOT the way the story goes. Here's how it really went down:
I went out to purchase some produce for the week. The Produce Junction has their place neatly set-up. fruits on one side. Veggies on the other. Some cut flowers, baskets and planter pots set up by the entranceway and household and gardening plants in a neighboring room and outside. As I finished purchasing my produce and walked towards my car. I literally saw a multitude of people looking at the plants outside. (People flock to this location for plants just about every day. Traffic is crazy during peak hours and there's never any parking. I never knew people took gardening and produce so seriously.) Anyhoo, as I looked at all the pretty plants people clutched tightly in their arms, I thought about finding a plant that we could set in the middle of our dining room table to add a bit of color and spice. Specifically, I wanted a good-sized succulent. I found none. They had none.
I have read in various blog posts that IKEA sells succulents at a good price, but I refused to drive to the closest IKEA in South Philly. I did a search on my phone to find a place that would sell succulents nearby and found a greenhouse in the Philadelphia Suburbs.
It was a nice, short scenic drive to Taddeo's Greenhouses. The workers were nice. The plants were gorgeous and clearly well taken-care of. Of course, I found out within the first minute of me being there that they did not have succulent plants, but I browsed around anyway to see what they did have and what would be a great first plant for our home. I settled on a pink New Guinea Impatiens. One worker suggested taking home a Gerber since they are easy to take care of, but when I saw the New Guinea plant, it was like love at first site. The dark green leaves with prickly edges were so intriguing, and it also helped that the one I took home was the only one that had a flower (one. single. pink. flower) blooming at the time. I grabbed it and continued exploring the place. It was a nice treat. Hot as all ever, but nice.
The plant is pretty small, but it does exactly what I wanted it to do -- add some color to the dining room until we start decorating our home. I have never had to take care of a plant before, so learning to care for this one has been a good challenge. It looked like it died a couple days after purchasing it, but a bit of water allowed the leaves and flower (surprisingly) to perk back up. I'm still trying to find a balance between sun and water, but I think I'm doing well so far as a first time plant mama. I think I'm totally set for motherhood (jk).
P.S. I found out that Lowe's and Home Depot sells succulents as well. I stopped by a Lowe's on my way home that day and found a beautiful selection of succulents. I can't wait to get some!
