Libby's Plant Odyssey

  My introduction into the world of plants came late in life for most people involved in the plant profession. Always a lover of nature, my exposure was limited to the world outside the home. Camping, hiking, canoeing down a river, an afternoon spent walking through the woods, all of these activities made me happy. I loved being close to nature.  True, when I was growing up there was an always an avocado seed sprouting in the kitchen window and a philodendron that hung in the breakfast room that was allowed to grow rampantly along the window sill, but there was certainly no real interest in expanding the collection. My paternal grandmother collected African violets we were never allowed to go near, my paternal grandfather was an avid vegetable gardener, and an aunt collected and grew orchids which I found amazing but that was it. No one took me under his/her wing to teach and share with me their love of plants. My gift for working with plants lay dormant for years. 
    I was 22 and working as a statistical analyst at JCCEO when a co-worker gave me a cutting of her arrowhead (Nephthytis) I had admired. Promising me it was the easiest of plants to grow, I took it home and successfully rooted it in a glass of water. Enthused about my newly discovered green thumb, I ventured out one Saturday morning to buy some more plants. Most of the time the plants I purchased flourished, but I also met with my fair share of failures. I would ask the staff person selling me the plant what it was and how to take care of it, and quickly grew frustrated when they couldn’t answer my questions. Trial and error were my proving grounds, killing the same plant over and over until I got it right. And as the saying goes, the rest is history.   
    While my interests over the years have expanded to include different varieties of plants, my first love will always be my houseplants. Below is a list of what I try to keep in stock on a year-round basis. I wrote The Odyssey Book of Houseplants for two reasons: 1) To satisfy my need to write, and 2) To help other people raise houseplants successfully. The American Horticultural Society  considers it to be one of the best source materials available. The book is in paperback form and sells for $15. Please contact me at the store to place an order. Call 205.324.0566.