It’ll be ten years this month since my mother died suddenly.
My daughter and I had just come home from visiting a family whose son had recently died in a tragic accident, so when my brother rang me to give me the news I struggled to take it in. I remember crying out “No!” like I just couldn’t accept that it was true. He’s recently sent me several boxes of her stuff to store, and I’ve been very slowly going through it.
I had completely forgotten that she belonged to both the orchid society and the cactus and succulent club. I hope I’ve mentioned before what an incredible woman my mother was, and I’d be very proud to be turning into her as I get older, although preferably without the asthma and hypertension. I have indeed recently developed an interest in potted plants, and succulents in particular. This isn’t only because they are the only plants I can reliably keep alive, but it’s related. They are so determined to live, unlike something like a maidenhair fern that will go into a death spiral if you just look at it the wrong way.
Take this fellow as an example:
I noticed some weeks ago that it had dropped a random leaf on the windowsill, and on closer inspection, the leaf had some little wiry bits coming out the bottom. On a hunch, I put it in a pot and hey presto!
Shortly afterwards, I noticed what looked like a tiny baby plant dangling from one of the original plant’s branches.
So, I potted that one as well and it is also thriving.
So, that original plant has two babies from different methods, and that’s without ever flowering. Of course, we get parthenogenesis in the animal kingdom too, as my poor rose bushes would attest, under their load of aphids. But it’s still pretty neat. In fact, I’m having a lot more luck with house plants than I used to. Am I finally growing into my inherited green thumb or is it more pragmatic plant choice? Maybe it’s time to put myself to the test with my mother’s other plant interest, orchids. I realise this isn’t the most engrossing post I’ve ever written, though. Do I need to promise not to keep you up to date with my adventures in the plant kingdom?