This weekend’s additions

Photo of the purple plants

Now, I like my plants…

But it’s getting to the point now were hardly a weekend goes by without me coming by at least one more of the things. Take this week for example, I had run the gauntlet of visiting Morrisons without Chris, which generally means I can impulse buy, I shouldn’t…but often do. And yet, I survived. I returned from the store without any new additions, I was so proud. The afternoon sped along and soon enough I was picking up Chris from work and promising her a cup of tea from Dobbies – well, I figured she had earned both it and a slice of whatever cake she fancied for working on a Saturday. We ended up with scones once again, and a can of diet Doctor Pepper, if anyone wants to know, I think it’s a new level of disgusting, but that’s just my opinion! I had diet Sprite which was beautiful and all the better for having ice with it, this was a rare break in the clouds and topped out at a very respectable 22℃. Had summer arrived?

I made no secret of the fact that I was there to see if they had any pots for which I cound find a use. As it transpires there were a number of very affordable ones and a really attractive crop of Calatheas, again, I could not recant which variety as UK Garden Centres just don’t do that, y’know tell the customer exactly what they’re buying! I did pick up a baby Calathea which could have been no more that six inches tall, and a pot which would have made a good host. Suddenly I suffered from an attack of guilt. You see just recently I have been saving £2.55 into our impulse savings account each time that I would normally buy a latte. We have something like £17.00 saved up now which would normally have been processed into, well, y’know, urine! So for me then to go and spend another £2.99 on the plant and a further £3.x (can’t remember the cost of the pot) having just bought scones and drinks, well this would have been just not right (I am certain there will be a far more fitting adjective to use but I can’t think of it just now!).

I congratulated myself for putting the plant and pot back on the shelf and we left Dobbies sans plant, pot and guilt! It has to be said that if Dobbies had more staff running the tills on Saturday afternoons then I might not have had such a long time in which to change my mind!

Fast forward by twenty-four hours and we are in Bradley Fold Garden Centre, Radcliffe and I have thus far avoided buying any more plants. This is not something that I find easy to do in spite of the fact that most houseplants are toxic to cats – we have Pepper and we have no room for anymore and the fact that I am now making my office desk look more like how I would imagine a botanist’s desk would look…it’s covered in plants. I know before long, someone is going to say, “Erm, the boss says you need to knock it off with the plants!” And they’d be right, but it feels nice and the humidity is much better for my eyes (I no longer need the eye-spray three-four times per day) but let’s be very fair here…it’s an office for crying out loud, not Kew Gardens! But, those two driving factors for not buying any more plants did not deter me, oh no!

Photo of the Peperomia plant
He’s a bit wounded but I’m sure I can bring the best out of him.

Enter my first new plant, who at fifty-pence I could simply not decline: Mister Peperomia (again, no varitel name on the pot, but a quick google search conjured up the name “Obtusifolia” – fantastic). Chris was almost mocking as the poor thing had almost no roots, some of the compost was missing from the pot and what was present was bone-dry. I persevered however, and took it upon myself to find a new home for this bargain of a specimen (okay; a specimen of neglect!) and would not put him back on the display. Within thirty minutes I had found a puddle and with the aid of the red pot (I’ll upload a photo later) I had given him a much-needed drink. The jury is out on just how pure the water from the puddle was: yes it could have been pure rain water; but there was mud very close, or it could have been tap water which would have been chlorinated. There’s no way of knowing, I just hope that the little trooper (do I project much???) comes into his own and begins to thrive, I’d never even considered buying a Peperomia until catching sight of this little charmer so he must have something going for him!

Photo of the purple plants
The ‘purple’ selection.

So, on to plant number two. I had decided to call it a day with just the one addition to the forming jungle but whilst outside in the main ‘outdoor’ plants section I began to crave a varigated Ficus Benjamina that I could recall seeing before Pep grabbed my attention. Previously my attempt at propagating a cutting from the one at work had amounted to nothing and at £3.49 (I think) this was worth the money. The only problem was that once I had made my way back to the house plants section, the one remaining varigated Ficus just didn’t pull at my heatstrings the way that Pep had. Maybe if it had been showing visible signs of neglect…However, I had previously considered buying a Fittonia from B&Q, when faced with a bit of a selection of these then I simply gave in and picked the one that I thought would blend in most with my ‘purple’ collection on my work’s desk. You think I’ve finished? Well, read on…

A surprise arrival x TWO!

So after calling in at Dad’s and setting up his new PC and the YouView box my sister had got for him we went down to Lynn’s house and lo and behold, I was presented with another plant, two in fact! I complemented them (Lynn and her husband Karl) on their spider plant, as it has the longest leaves I’ve ever seen one of this species. Karl said thanks and then gave me the two yourngsters in their tiny peat (not sure) pots / modules? I am grateful, I’m just not sure that the little blighters will survive as they have practically no roots. I’ve decided to put this in with my variegated Dracaena on my desk at work so that Pepper doesn’t eat them and they’ll get stable conditions as I can’t garantee this at home on the kitchen windowsill which is sometimes gloomy and other times a sun trap. I really like spider plants and would have got one for myself before now if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve just inheritted one thanks to my colleague being seconded for twelve months. So in the space of three days I have progressed from having no spider plants to three of the things! I now have four members of the ‘purple’ zone and ‘Pep’ the neglected Peperomia Party.

I might not buy any more plants this coming weekend, how will I pass the time???