I have these two plants that have been with me since the summer of 1989. They are called "Mother-in-Law's Tongues" so far as I know. I'm sure you're familiar with them--flat, smooth variegated leaves shooting up like swords from a common base. They are ubiquitous in offices all across the U.S., and I actually encountered some in the wild in a rainforest in Brazil, where I guess they are indigenous.
I came to adopt these guys while helping my dear friend, Mr. S., clean office buildings--a second job that helped to keep his head above water (He's a teacher by day!). We typically finished the evening by dumping the collected trash in the bins out behind the building, and on this night, as I prepared to toss the bags, I noticed these discarded plants among the rubbish. No pot. Roots exposed. Disheveled to say the least. And I took pity upon them. We've been together ever since!
My pair resides in urn-like pots and spends the winter months indoors and the rest of the year on my deck. And last year, after a relationship of 17 years, one of them bloomed! It was the most amazing thing—I’d never seen this plant bloom, didn't even know that it could.
And here it is blooming again. It’s like this gift, this acknowledgement, this intra-species “Thank you.” I know that’s crazy talk, but what the hell, sanity is way overrated!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Amazing, isn´t it. Mine did the very same thing! Kept JUST as you indicate you did. Mine, then, continued for a few years .... then NICHT! Got tired I would presume! :-)
Cool. Thanks for the heads-up. It would appear to be just like most things that amaze us...a moment to cherish, a memory to share and save. Cheers!
Post a Comment