My late grandma was a plant fanatic. I spent a lot of time with her when I was a kid, and would accompany her each evening when she made the rounds to water, fertilize, and treat hundreds of house and outdoor plants. Her philosophy was that there's no such thing as a green thumb--you just have to pay attention to and care for plants the way you would a dog or a cat. I learned a lot from her during those evening trips and it sparked a lifelong love of gardening.
When she died in 2013, the family gathered to divvy up her belongings. By that time she'd greatly reduced the number of plants she had because she'd gotten too old to take care of a great number. But they were the only thing of hers I wanted, and I cherish them. In 1982, when I was 4 years old, I went to the grocery store with my mom and they had a big display of plants up front. I picked up a tiny jade plant and asked my mom if I could get it for Granny, which we did. Now, 34 years later, that plant lives in my house.
