AMARYLLIS

My son Alex came into the kitchen and noticed that I had my elbows on our butcher’s block, with my hands resting under my chin, staring at a plant.

“What are you doing?” He asked as he opened the cabinet and took out a bag of coffee.

“I’m watching this amaryllis bulb I planted a few days ago.” I pointed to the pot of dirt with the bulb sticking up a few inches, its green leaf and stem peeking out from the bulb another inch or two.

Alex put the coffee on the counter and went to get a cup and his ceramic pour over coffee dripper out of the cabinet. “Has it grown any?”

I stood back up and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not seeing anything.” I sighed.

Alex took the mug over to the counter and began making his coffee.

“It’s been a whole week!” I looked over at the bulb again. “I was sure something would have happened by now.” I shook my head. “I don’t think it’s changed a bit.”

“Well, it’s only been a week.” Alex leaned against the counter waiting for the water to boil. “Just give it more time.”

I had to laugh as I raised my eyebrows. “I know but my sister Liz gave me the bulb for a Christmas present and I’m just worried about my green thumb skills.”

Alex started to laugh, too. “Oh, we ALL know about your green thumb skills!” He took the now boiling water from the stove and began slowly pouring it over the coffee grounds. “You’ve given your plants some pretty awesome trims.”

“What I like to call ‘haircuts’.” I laughed.

“Yeah, not many of them survived those haircuts.” He had finished pouring the water into his cup and was ready to throw out the coffee grounds when I stopped him.

“Wait!” I cried. “Don’t throw those out!” I grabbed some paper towels and placed them on the counter. “Here. Dump them on this.”

Alex looked confused. “Why?”

“Because I read that amaryllis bulbs love used coffee grounds!”

“Really?” Alex took the wet coffee grounds and poured them on the paper towels.

“Yeah. They just need to be dried before I can put them on the plants.” I pointed over to the coffee table where my African violet plants were. “I’m pretty sure they love them, too.” I spread the coffee grounds out so they would dry quicker.

“So how much of the coffee grounds do you give each plant?” He went to the refrigerator to get some milk.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea. They never say how much but I figure a little sprinkle couldn’t hurt.”

Alex laughed as he poured some milk in his coffee then took a sip. “Yeah, with your green thumb skills what could possibly go wrong with that?”

I laughed as I reached over and grabbed my phone off the counter. “Maybe I should look that up.”