You know what's great about having your own baobab? Everyone who knows you will think of you every time they see a baobab, forever. People used to say to me "how is your dog?" or "I saw you walking your dog." Now they say "I saw a baobab on TV and I thought of you." Yay, people are thinking of me!
Also, when you have a baobab, people actually want to hear about your garden. Or at least about your baobab. People who don't know me well still ask about the dog; true friends ask about my baobab. (I suppose it would be nice if they'd ask how I am, but, you know. Baby steps.) And unlike the dog, I can go places without being asked where is my baobab. I see people at the grocery story and they ask "where is your dog?" As if dogs were allowed in the grocery store. But as I don't walk around with my baobab, people don't actually ask where it is.
Anyway.
The downside of having a baobab is, you have to have more baobabs. I suppose most of you don't know the saying "one is too many and a thousand is never enough," but it's true of baobabs, too. One baobab is too many, in that they're a lot of anxiety and way too big to keep as indoor plants. But then I was watching a documentary about Madagascar, again. That's what started this whole baobab mania in the first place. And if you watch baobab documentaries, you'll notice there is never a baobab. Baobabs are very gregarious; they form gigantic forests, further than the eye can see.
Not only that, but as you may recall, there are... I think 10 species of baobab: one in Africa, three in Australia, and six in Madagascar. A. digitata is the African one; A. za is one of the Madagascar ones. Those two are easy enough to source online, but then I discovered something else: the poster child of baobabs, the one everyone thinks of when they think of baobabs, is actually A. grandidieri. It's the tallest and "the most beautiful" of baobabs. And it's named after Grandidier, who also named Grandidier's vontsira.
This can only mean one thing: I must have a Grandidier's baobab.
A. grandidieri, however, is more difficult to source. I found a supplier, of course. I pretty much find whatever I want. It offered packs of five or bulk packs of... I don't know, 500 seeds? Or 50? I didn't look at it that closely, as I'm not after planting baobabs in bulk. I put one pack of five in my shopping cart, and then I thought better of it and put a second pack... and it told me there wasn't enough in stock.
What?
Are you suggesting that in the whole of the Intertubes, there are only five seeds of A. grandidieri to be had?
No there isn't. Not anymore, because I bought them.
But then, the supplier's minimum order is $15, and the A. grandidieri seeds are $4.90, so I added two more baobabs: A. madagascarensis and A. suarenzis. But at $4.90 each, that's still $0.30 short of the order limit. Yargh! Darn you to heck, baobabs!!!!!
I filled up my order with a cheap pack of black pepper seeds, formerly one of the most expensive commodities on earth.
My New Year's Resolution is, not to plant any more baobabs until I have a grow light for them.
Also, when you have a baobab, people actually want to hear about your garden. Or at least about your baobab. People who don't know me well still ask about the dog; true friends ask about my baobab. (I suppose it would be nice if they'd ask how I am, but, you know. Baby steps.) And unlike the dog, I can go places without being asked where is my baobab. I see people at the grocery story and they ask "where is your dog?" As if dogs were allowed in the grocery store. But as I don't walk around with my baobab, people don't actually ask where it is.
Anyway.
The downside of having a baobab is, you have to have more baobabs. I suppose most of you don't know the saying "one is too many and a thousand is never enough," but it's true of baobabs, too. One baobab is too many, in that they're a lot of anxiety and way too big to keep as indoor plants. But then I was watching a documentary about Madagascar, again. That's what started this whole baobab mania in the first place. And if you watch baobab documentaries, you'll notice there is never a baobab. Baobabs are very gregarious; they form gigantic forests, further than the eye can see.
Not only that, but as you may recall, there are... I think 10 species of baobab: one in Africa, three in Australia, and six in Madagascar. A. digitata is the African one; A. za is one of the Madagascar ones. Those two are easy enough to source online, but then I discovered something else: the poster child of baobabs, the one everyone thinks of when they think of baobabs, is actually A. grandidieri. It's the tallest and "the most beautiful" of baobabs. And it's named after Grandidier, who also named Grandidier's vontsira.
This can only mean one thing: I must have a Grandidier's baobab.
A. grandidieri, however, is more difficult to source. I found a supplier, of course. I pretty much find whatever I want. It offered packs of five or bulk packs of... I don't know, 500 seeds? Or 50? I didn't look at it that closely, as I'm not after planting baobabs in bulk. I put one pack of five in my shopping cart, and then I thought better of it and put a second pack... and it told me there wasn't enough in stock.
What?
Are you suggesting that in the whole of the Intertubes, there are only five seeds of A. grandidieri to be had?
No there isn't. Not anymore, because I bought them.
But then, the supplier's minimum order is $15, and the A. grandidieri seeds are $4.90, so I added two more baobabs: A. madagascarensis and A. suarenzis. But at $4.90 each, that's still $0.30 short of the order limit. Yargh! Darn you to heck, baobabs!!!!!
I filled up my order with a cheap pack of black pepper seeds, formerly one of the most expensive commodities on earth.
My New Year's Resolution is, not to plant any more baobabs until I have a grow light for them.
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