Need advice on thanking someone for a plant

Hi,

Since I am new to gardening and very new to trading and swapping plants I have a question. What is the proper way to say thank you for a plant? I've said thank you to a few people I've meet in person and they quickly tell me to never, never, ever say thank you for a plant that it' is bad luck, and the plant will die.

Hearing that helped bring back memories of my grandmother and aunt saying the same thing. Both of them were great gardeners, but both of them have passed on now, so I can't ask them what to say.

It's a habit to say thank you, as much as I try not to I can't help myself. I need something to say, to show I am thankful. Please help me out with this issue.

Thanks so much,

laura

hmmmmmmmmm...........I always say thank you :)
Maybe I'm doing something wrong? My plants haven't died though, so I guess that's a good things ;)

Laura, that supersition/tradition is as old as passing along plants.

I, too say thank you, and I'm usually told to hush up or the plants will die. I grin and say thanks anyway (my mom raised me to be polite, not supersitious ;o)

One way I've used get around this dilemma (and it works unless you run into someone who's a diehard stickler on this subject) is to say thanks for sharing. Don't specificallly mention WHAT they shared, I just say "Your gardens are beautiful, thanks so much for sharing!"

terry - what a clever comeback!! I will have to borrow your wisdom!

Hey thanks ya'll.

That sounds like a good one Terry. :)
My plants have lived I've gotten from people even after saying thank you too, Flowox. :)

People around here seem to really believe in that old tale though.
I just didn't want to come off as being rude and not respecting whatever they believe, even if it is a little crazy. ha ha...

I'll try the thanks for sharing next time and see if that goes over well. :)

Thanks again,
lauraM

That is exactly how I was raised too. Not saying Thank you for plants was the right thing to do. My Mother still wont say Thank you when I give her plants. I have found myself telling friends the same thing. Although I do tell folks here on DG Thanks when I recieve a plant trade. Nothing bad ever happens eaither. LOL
I usually just tell my friends "Thanks for this pretty pot" or "Thanks for the dirt" I've even said "Thanks for the glass of tea" (when in fact I had not even had any of their tea)

LOL Good one Terry!!

I had forgotten that you weren't supposed to say thanks for plants! Glad it's just a superstition, guess i'm too polite in that regard also. Feel like it's necessary to show appreciation for them as I'm sooo happy to get them. thanks for sharing is a good alternative! Tracy

This is a new "old superstition" to me. LOL and I thought I had heard them all! I would love to know the origins of it. But I still say thankyou and probably always will being a creature of habit.

people still fuss at me about it. I can't help it, like Terry, I worry more about being polite.

My 80 year-old stepmom is an avid gardener and everytime I give her a plant she says "I won't thank you for this!" It cracks me up.

Sounds like your step-moms a hoot. LOL Tracy

My grandmother always said..Never say thank you for a plant, just say "much obliged"..

Larkie

I try when in person to say something like: these are beautiful, I just love them.

lol weeds. isn't that pretty much what you said to get them to give them to you in the first place ? ;~)

I was taught also, that it was wrong to say "Thank You " for plants. When I was a child, I asked why . I was told that we only tend the plants , they belong to the earth , and if we say Thanks, it's like saying we own them and think we can grow them better than the earth can. We were supposed to share them, like we share the air. Lou

Yep Zany and it works!

Many of my gardening friends adhere to this tradition, too!

So I say something like "My momma taught me never to thank people for plants". Even though my momma never did, it works! And since my local gardening friends know my momma has a black thumb, it cracks them up! We share a good laugh, a hug, and lots of good talk. Part of what gardening is all about :)

I didn't know this. None of my plants from friends here have died, (well, not many anyways), and I try to always say thank you. If I didn't say thank you, and knew I forgot to say thank you, that would haunt me more than the plant dying.

But, I'll try to come up with something else to say that lets the sender know I really appreciate their kindness and efforts.

I've never heard of not saying thank you for a plant....lol I guess I haven't been gardening long enough to have heard that. All I can say is, I've treated plants so rough sometimes I thought for SURE they would die...and yet they live. I've thrown them on the ground and left them for dead, thrown them in a makeshift compost pile and yet they live...moved them in 95 degree temps in the middle of summer and yet they live...so I seriously doubt a superstition is going to kill any plant I have!...lol Being more of a 'believe it when I see it' type of person myself, I'd thank anyone, any day of the week if they gave me a plant and not worry for one moment about a superstition. In my opinion, gratitude never once killed a plant. :) Of course, this is coming from a person who purposely walks on cracks (hasn't broke mom's back yet...lol), walks under ladders (done that many, many times at work), loves black cats and crossing in their paths. hehe Go ahead, say thanks :D I DO!

My neighbor gave me poppy seeds (which I never had a chance to plant this year) and when I thanked her she shushed me - now I know why!

Hmong people think if you point at a plant it will die, too.

I think I will just say, "I appreciate it so much!" or "I appreciate your kindness or sharing"
Nothin' wrong with that!

How odd, these superstitions.

When someone thanks me I say "awww, it's just an old weed."
On occasion though, I have offered thanks fer a plant or two.

dispatcher1, I love your explanation of the reason not to say Thanks. It makes common sense of what I have always heard in here in the South about not saying Thanks. I usually just smile and say the plant will have a loving home in my garden.

Wow, I've been so busy I haven't gotten to read this thread for a while. Ya'll really have some interesting stories to share.

Dispatcher1 I like what your wrote. That really makes a lot of sense.


I'll have to try and remember not to say thank you to my secret plant pal when I get my package within the next couple of days. It's so hard not to say thank you, even though I've got lots of other great things to say in it's place. "I'll have to practice" lol


Thanks for sharing all your neat stories everyone. :)

Have a great weekend,
lauraM