The Country of California

Earlier today, I went to Lowe's (on Hanley) to purchase a couple of items for our gardening venture. While browsing the aisles of plants in the nursery, I decided to look for a pink-nerved or silver-veined fittonia. Several months have gone by since I left Berkeley, and while I'm here in hot & humid St. Louis, my two little fittonias are still sitting on my old desk in my old office of my old job. Alas. (Those two were purchased at Target for almost nothing -- I think I paid like $2.99 for each of them. They were the size of my hand.)

So, I went in search of those wee little plants in the nursery of Lowe's. Couldn't find them, so I asked the little old, white lady who was unloading a bunch of orchids. She seemed really friendly, asked me how I was doing, and if I liked orchids. "Oh yes, I love them," said I, "but do you have fittonias? Silver veined or pink nerved ones?"

The little old lady looked at me and said, "What are they? Are they annuals or perennials?"

"Um, I don't know the technical name, but they're fittonias."

Then, my friends, she asked: "Are they from your country or my country?"

She then proceeded to explain to me the definition of "annual" and "perennial", and she spoke the words very slowly in case I had trouble with English.

My sister was mumbling something in the background about "not our country or your country; it's OUR country"... But my hearing was blocked by my bubbling irritation.

Somewhere during her spiel, she suggested hanging plants (they're on sale for $8.99, folks). I'll look around for something else, said I.

So I went to two gentlemen who were unloading other kinds of plants; I thought they might know more. I approached one and asked him if the store carried fittonias. He looked at his coworker, half laughed, and then turned to me and said, "Never heard of them before." Then went back to his work.

Friends, I'll admit to a bit of brusqueness, and frankly, I was not a happy customer at that point. WHY does this still happen? My goodness, I'm in St. Louis, but it's not like I'm in the country of idiots! Or maybe I am?!

So, to prove that fittonias do in fact exist, and that I did in fact have TWO fittonias in my country of CALIFORNIA, I hereby post a link to the blogpost with a photo of my dear silver-veined fittonia.

And, if you go here, you can find photographic proof that fittonias do exist, and not just in MY country. Also, if you go here, like any commoner, you can find the genus, family, and order of this little plant.

For now, I'm going to steel some silver-veined nerves and go write a note to Lowe's telling them that the fittonia does in fact exist and that Lowe's employees need to learn their plants.