Pick a Purple Pepper?
I have never really felt like I had a green thumb. My mother never had any trouble with plants around the house or in our greenhouse growing up. I could never keep anything green alive for very long and mostly because, unlike pets, there wasn’t enough feedback for me. I’d never know for sure if I was over or under watering, if it was a place with not enough or too much light, etc.
For the longest time, I decided plants weren’t for me until about 4 years ago when I bought a Chia Herb Garden set on a whim and didn’t do too badly with it. Eventually I upgraded to actual plants and then to a proper backyard garden where I now have this beauty growing lush and vibrant!
I have no idea if it’s normal for the pepper plant to bloom so late in the year, but I’ll admit that I have been unclear on where to keep it and I’ve not been the best about watering it, but it clearly defied all my efforts to kill it. Even if it never bloomed, the pepper plant has huge green leaves and grows kinda tall and looks really impressive. The fact that I have an actual grown pepper–and a few others coming in–is even better!
Every year, I love growing my garden, even though some plants don’t survive the process, it’s just nice to have green things on the patio, even better than I can actually use some of those things in my meals and cocktails. I think I’ll pare down a little bit next year because I’m not good at diligent trimming and cutting back nor do I save and freeze as much as I should.
For me, it’s mostly a feast for the senses, running your fingers through aromatic herbs or watching actual food grow from seeds that you tended. So long as I keep remembering the right mix of food, light, water, etc. I’m good to go!
Still though, September feels like way too late for vegetables to finally flower. Next year I’ll have to snag a Farmer’s Almanac.