Have Plant, Will Travel
In July (or was it June?) I was given an orchid. I have now managed to keep this plant alive longer than any plant I've tended since my sophomore year of high school.
Conventional wisdom says that orchids like the humidity of a bathroom and the gentle sunlight of a window sill.
You might remember that I rent a room and borrow a bathroom. The bathroom does not come with natural light, and I am very grateful that my room does not come with humidity. But my solution to the problem was to take my orchid on a walk with me to the shower each morning and then back to my room to play in the gentle sunlight of my room during the day.
That is until I began my marathon of house-sitting.
But like all good mothers of living things, I had planned in advance for the proper care of my plant and saved the plastic sleeve all orchids are sold in. It is very rare for a plant to come in it's own suitcase, but orchid growers are smart that way, I suppose. And after making my back seat into a closet, my trunk into a pantry and linen cupboard, and the front seat into an office, I tuck my pet plant into the corner of the seat next to me and merrily make my way to my next place of residence.
And the next one.
And the next one.
I think this travel has been good for it, except for the few petals and leaves it has lost along the way. I mean, I have found that it has served my plant well in growth and maturation. One of the houses we spent time at, the orchid and I, had many orchids spread throughout the house. As any good mother is tempted to do, I couldn't help but compare how mine measured up to theirs.
And yes, if I were having a parent-teacher conference, I have confidence that I would not only hear that my plant deserved an "S" in Development, but the report card would also read "Plays well with others."
Conventional wisdom says that orchids like the humidity of a bathroom and the gentle sunlight of a window sill.
You might remember that I rent a room and borrow a bathroom. The bathroom does not come with natural light, and I am very grateful that my room does not come with humidity. But my solution to the problem was to take my orchid on a walk with me to the shower each morning and then back to my room to play in the gentle sunlight of my room during the day.
That is until I began my marathon of house-sitting.
But like all good mothers of living things, I had planned in advance for the proper care of my plant and saved the plastic sleeve all orchids are sold in. It is very rare for a plant to come in it's own suitcase, but orchid growers are smart that way, I suppose. And after making my back seat into a closet, my trunk into a pantry and linen cupboard, and the front seat into an office, I tuck my pet plant into the corner of the seat next to me and merrily make my way to my next place of residence.
And the next one.
And the next one.
I think this travel has been good for it, except for the few petals and leaves it has lost along the way. I mean, I have found that it has served my plant well in growth and maturation. One of the houses we spent time at, the orchid and I, had many orchids spread throughout the house. As any good mother is tempted to do, I couldn't help but compare how mine measured up to theirs.
And yes, if I were having a parent-teacher conference, I have confidence that I would not only hear that my plant deserved an "S" in Development, but the report card would also read "Plays well with others."
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