Hattie the Hibiscus and Big Al the Aloe are Friends of the Lower Macungie Garden Club

One thing the Lower Macungie Garden Club enjoys is taking care of the plants in the Lower Macungie Library. 

When we were first asked to do this, we readily accepted because this was a good way to give back to our community.  Little did we know that we would actually become "friends" with some of the plants that call the library home. 

Let's begin with "Hattie" --Yes, we named it -- the Hibiscus.  When we first saw Hattie, it was obvious that she needed to be repotted. We not only went shopping for a new pot for Hattie, but we also used gravel on a tray that we water to help create  a bit of humidity for her. (The library must be kept dry so mildew will not form on the pages of the books.)

Some of us have had conversations with Hattie as we discard any yellowed leaves, spritz the green ones, and deadhead old blooms. I think she enjoys knowing that we care about her and likes being told she is beautiful. Right now she has a few pink blooms that make her little corner by the window a nice place to be with a book. She is also expecting new flowers in various stages of bloom. On your next trip to the library be sure to visit Hattie and let her know she is a beautiful plant.

Sitting next to Hattie is the largest Aloe plant that I have ever seen. Many of us have Aloe at home and use it for burns or cuts and scrapes. One day I was approached by one of the librarians who asked me if I could do something about the Aloe plant.  She then explained that everyone who worked there felt as though it was taking over.  I was surprised, as I hadn't seen the plant for a while and when I looked, there were nine new Aloe plants coming up around the larger plant.  Clearly something had to be done.  Some of the members of the garden club helped to take the "babies" out of the pot and we put them in our plant swap and sale.  Some of the librarians, when speaking of the Aloe, smile and begin to make up stories of the moster Aloe coming alive at night creeping among the shelves until morning. 

That was when I started calling it "Big Al."  I have grown Aloe for some years and have never seen one as big as this.  It's worth a trip to the library to see Big Al.  You can't miss it because it is so big. We are happy that Hattie has a friend, but if Big Al gets any bigger we may need a forklift to repot him.