I will be praying for her and her daughter. Can you take her some green beans and string them together? How about sprouts? Maybe radishes in a sunny window?

I can do anything that I have to do.

Her name is Lisa.

Radishes were always a favorite of mine. Tomorrow she goes back on the chemo pump. 4 days of her not feeling well.

Deeby, God bless you! PLEASE keep her and her daughter in your prayers.

hobbiest, try the big box stores to see if there are still end-of-season-bargain pots and window boxes.

I'll pray also.

You bet I'll keep praying. I did as soon as I typed my post. How about herbs too? I can tell since you'd buy potting soil you'd get a grow light too. Hey !!!! I just thought about something !!! What about that aero garden thing? That's tomatoes year round !

missingtheobvious

"hobbiest, try the big box stores to see if there are still end-of-season-bargain pots and window boxes.

I'll pray also."

Hadn`t thought about that one. Thank you so much for your help!

:)

Please remember her and her daughter every day.

They need the prayers.

Deeby,

"You bet I'll keep praying. I did as soon as I typed my post. How about herbs too? I can tell since you'd buy potting soil you'd get a grow light too. Hey !!!! I just thought about something !!! What about that aero garden thing? That's tomatoes year round !"

Thank you Deeby!!!! :)

Haven`t heard of the Aero garden subject. Can you elaborate?

I do know this. The apartment complex that she lives in only pays so much for the utilities one uses and after that, the renter has to pick up the tab. My friend had a good job until she got sick and now she has had to go on "gubment" subsidies which she really isn`t too happy with considering that she has always been independant and worked hard for what she had.

I think I need to find out what she likes to eat and see if I can tailor her overwinter "indoor crops" to what she would like to grow.

My main concern with all of this is to keep her mind off of her troubles and maybe just feel "normal" for a bit. Even if it is only for a short while.

Any of you folks ever had a sleepless night where you wake up with some issue on your mind that just won`t shut off and keeps you awake?

I am SURE, MANY of us here have had that issue MORE than once. I want to help her in some way, disconnect with her problem, and just enjoy life for awhile. Even if it is only for a few precious moments.

Thanks everyone for your comments. You are WONDERFUL people!!!

:)

Hoya plants are relatively no fuss. And the flowers are gorgeous. Even when they are not blooming, the leaves on some are beautiful and intricate. I would be glad to send an established one for her. Unfortunately, the blooms may not appear in her lifetime, but the plant can be passed to her daughter (they are that low maintenance).
Feel free to email me, if you would like.

I would like to add that they are not veggies, but they certainly are a great pick me up! Sorry, I just noticed this was the veggie forum (thought it was a question for any plants that would be great indoors)!

AuroraWA,

No problem on your post and I thank you kindly for wanting to help!

I have a hunch that the plant that you speak of is beautiful and worthy of making one smile. Well, I smiled reading your post, knowing that there are GOOD folks out there that want to help another soul in times of distress.

Thank you for your offer!

:)

An Aero Garden is a black appliance with lights and the seeds grow in pods of water. It comes with a pump. Amazon has one for $79 and $29 for a pack of mini tomato seeds. Comes with herb seeds. About the size of a toaster oven. Also, Chia kits should be in the stores now. Have a look at Amazon. I'll bet she'd love an Aero Garden !

You are most welcome, and the offer still stands! Unlike veggies and herbs (delicious - yes, long lived, not so much), hoyas are pretty long lived (20+years, and if one is dying, you just make a cutting and plop it in the pot to grow a new plant!). It may bring her daughter comfort and fond memories of her last pieces of time with her mother!

Not a vegetable, but Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are great because they grow well indoors with no additional lights. They grow very fast and change every day. The flowers are ridiculously big, blousy, jolly and colourful. Maybe your friend and her daughter could have one each and have a race to see whose flowers first. I kept a succession going in my Dad's room in the last 6 months of his life. I helped him pot the first ones up (made a bit of a mess of the bed) and thereafter bought the ones that come with pot and medium all ready to go.

If you want to stick to edibles you could do sprouting seeds or start some basil. Even at the seedling stage it gives a fresh, summer flavour to a salad or sandwich.

I would just sound one note of caution. Please take this in the spirit is intended and not as any kind of criticism. Let your friend lead on what she would like you to do. I am not at all saying this is your position but it does bear thinking about in general for this kind of situation. In our own need to 'do something' it is easy to think one is helping when one is actually putting pressure on the sick person. I learned this from experience. I once tried an idea to help my dying mother. People said 'Give her a hand massage and do her nails.' I started off but a few minutes in Mum, who by that stage had lost all inhibitions, said,'Could you just stop that please? It's really annoying!' I got the same reaction when I tried reading to her. I was asked to be quiet so she could sleep ;-) The moral is to make sure the person actually needs and wants what you are offering. Your friend's wish to be prepping beans could be a desire for normality to return rather than an actual yearning to be dealing with vegetables.

Hobbiest, Sorry for your friend. Shoots are easy to grow indoors and are also very nutritious. I've grown both sunflower and pea shoots that I sold at a farmers' market. I think pea shoots are much easier to grow. I'm attaching a link to Johnny's Seeds' shoots page. Click on any of the seed links and there are additional instructions for how to sprout the seeds. There are also several instructional videos on You Tube, or some discussions in the Market Grower forum. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnnys Shoots info

Try Turmeric for cancer fighting food, do not overdose, I do not know whether it can be grown indoors or not

The aero bed is a good idea. They also have an aquaponic set up that is fed by either a couple of goldfish or a beta (a companion to boot!). These will grow some greens or herbs.I think both are pretty much table top gardening, but rather expensive.
If there is a patio area, you could possibly set up some planters and teach the 10 YO how to water some easy to grow winter things such as radishes, lettuce, chard, etc.. this would help the little girl think she is "helping" in a sad situation AND teach her to love something her mother loves
You might want to pop over to the container garden for help with that. Good luck! Nancy

Since Lisa is a country girl, would she like some nice brown eggs?

Your zone is much warmer than mine here in NH. When would you ordinarily start veggie plants? My husband made a simple plant stand for me with a florescent light on a hanging chain so it can be adjusted upward as plants grow.

I think an indoor pot of something like basil right now would be good. Also like the idea of an amaryllis and sprouts.

Can you Skype with her (video camera required but Skype software is free) so she can share some veggie fixing time with you? She could choose the times when she is not tired. Maybe tell her when you are making something and let her decide to Skype with you are not. If you had the camera, she wouldn't need one since the point is for her to watch what you were doing. You would both be able to speak and hear each other. Or maybe watch some YouTube videos together about growing something.

You are a good friend.

Herbal seed sprouter will keep her busy during winter and year round.

There are so many replies to my topic since I last posted that I don`t really know how to handle all of them.

I spoke with her today and tried to get a feel of what she liked to grow. I am still trying to put all of this together to see if she would be interested in trying it. I haven`t asked yet. I have a feeling that maybe I should.

One poster did say ( I am generalizing here ) that I should find out if she would be interested in trying something or if maybe I should just leave it alone. I took NO offense to your comments and it did make me look at all of this from a different angle. I appreciate your insight! :)

Another poster said something about growing flowers. Lisa has a warm heart for just the little things in life that makes one smile. I don`t mind at all, for ANY suggestions that can help one forget ones` troubles in a time of hardship.

I realize that tonight, I haven`t addressed each and every response that this post has generated. Just tired here and life over the last month, has been very trying for me.This post isn`t about me. It is for Lisa. To all of you posters who are trying to help, all of your comments to my topic, warm my heart!

To EVERYONE who has made a reply to my subject, it makes me feel good to know that there are GOOD people in the world trying to help others! You folks don`t know how much this means to me.

P.S., I wanted to elaborate with a comment or two on everyones thoughts and suggestions tonight. I really did. Please don`t take it like I didn`t care about what each individual poster had to say that was helpful. ALL comments were helpful! I MEAN that!

God bless ALL of you FINE folks! I and my friend are so blessed!

:)

This post was edited by hobbiest on Wed, Oct 29, 14 at 21:44

We know that your heart, time and attention are on Lisa-where they should be. Please don't worry about mentioning us individually ! You have enough going on. I just now stopped and prayed for Lisa and her daughter, and for you.

Deeby,

It is not that your comments carry more weight than anyone else's in my post, I just happened to refresh the browser and saw your reply.

I am about to sign off but I wanted to tell you, Thank you for your support & prayers. Don`t stop!

I want once again, to thank ALL for their suggestions and prayers.

Flowers and houseplants make me feel the happiest. African violets, amaryllis and dendrobium orchids are my favorite mood lifters. Any plant growing inside lifts my spirits. Some herbs grow well in a sunny window.

Understood, and don't worry. Lisa and you have friends here.