184E - Messing about with plants

 "Oh...so you mess about with plants, do you? Interesting..." (huge yawn)

Yep. Very interesting! And fun! Although I thought the tone of the remark not very amusing.

Who was it that said:"Those who can, do. Those who cannot, criticise."

Anyway. Since this a blog for plant lovers, I am going to write about plants, and will not bore you with the numerous quotes drifting around in the catacombs of my brain.

Spider plant

   Yesterday I was given a beautiful spider plant by a friend. I asked for a cutting, really, but I got the entire plant. Now, when you want to please me, that is the way to do it😊 a book token or a plant. Really, I'm so easy to please.

   Talk about easy.

   The spider plant, or Chlorophytum comosum (what's in a name) together with the Sanseveria must be the easiest plant I know.

   I made my acquaintance with this plant during puberty, when I visited a friend's gran, who had a giant of more than a metre hanging in her stairwell. It was love at first sight.

Immediately after arriving back home, I begged my Mum for a spider plant.

This makes me very happy.

She was the 'glass almost completely empty' type, so she was convinced the poor little spider would die a cruel death in my hard rock bedroom in no time. But she bought me one anyway, with strict sceptical instructions about watering.

I have no idea if the plant appreciated my Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and incense, but she stayed alive effortlessly.

Those days (early seventies) everyone smoked, so I lived in an ashtray, but nowadays we know that smoking is unhealthy and that spider plants have the amazing quality to purify the air (just like those stiff Sanseverias btw!). Hopefully my spider has kept my poor beleaguered lungs from harm!

My plant is the 'sparsiflorum' variety, with broader leaves. Originally from the Congo jungles, she has those broad leaves to catch as much light as possible. And the reason that she survives even the worst neglect for months, is because she stores liquids in her fleshy roots.

The spider plant produces babies. Not only very pretty, but also very effective when you live in a jungle. That cluster of baby leaves at the end of long stems, makes roots. When those roots touch the soil, they grow into it. Think strawberry. It is very simply to mimic this process by cutting a cluster and sticking it into water. And eh, presto, you have a plant for free. Of course you can press it directly into soil, think strawberry, but that is not so simple in a living room.

My sedum is growing towers

Meanwhile the sedum is building towers. I see them gaining height daily. It reminds me of sand castles with towers of wet sand dribbles I used to make as a child. And yes, I know that it is a sign of the ageing brain that you think back to how it used to be. But why ever not? There are more years behind me, than in front of me. I don't do the 'young is the norm, old is scary' trend. Sixty is the new forty? Don't make me laugh. Sixty is having twenty years experience more. And thus knowing that everything moves in cycles, wheels within wheels. The spider plants and Sanseverias  that were trendy in your grannie's day, then thought the height of frumpiness and now are being sold for €16,95 by Intratuin, trendy again. I have mine for free, tadadadada.

Have a good weekend!

Renée