Monday, September 26, 2011

Amusing Moment in a Gardening Forum


As I write this (Sunday morning), there's a post on Garden Web's House Plants forum titled "Mum, can I prune them back?"

I haven't been logged into GW in a very long time, but I have been sorely tempted to do so just to leave the comment, "No, it's 'Mother, may I prune them back?'"


The actual question involves the appropriateness of cutting back an indoor Chrysanthemum1 because the center of the plant has died back, but sometimes spelling out the whole word really does make a difference.

Also: comma splices, avoid them.2

-


1 Which is apparently possible in certain circumstances: the original poster claims to have had the plant for two years. I was not aware that this could happen.
2 Yes, I know. It's a joke, like.


2 comments:

phantom_tiger said...

Garden Grammar. Next on Discovery Channel! You could be a pioneer.

My experience with chrysanthemums in pots goes like this. Get plant. Feel happy for two days. Notice is actually full of bugs. Watch plant shrivel. Two years has never been an issue!

Paul said...

I actually had a very similar reaction to yours Mr. S when I read that post title myself. Partly I just thought it was funny as the poster seemed to be asking his 'mum' for permission to prune a plant.