Got Houseplants

Many of us are still buried knee-deep in winter thoughts. Despite all the seed, plant and design talk you can find in our daily posts, it can be hard to concentrate on something colorful and magical. Take for instance this beautiful Begonia ‘Phoe’s Cleo’ in bloom.



Yes, this was tweeted and put on our Facebook page but some of you may only subscribe to the daily posts.  For the email subscribers, let’s see if today you receive one or 3 or none. Uugh - just like our plants can catch them, another technical bug to sort out. But back to today’s subject at hand – houseplants.

What’s the big deal about this particular Begonia? Well, it's one of those plants that went downhill, almost from the start. Logical folks might give up; toss it away. For those who struggle with ‘green thumb’ phobia, listen up. Losing plants may be an everyday occurrence but I don’t lose plants.  Even the underdogs that look like goners, I often try to resuscitate and bring them back to life. This Begonia was down to one scrawny leaf, diseased with bugs and ready for the 'Tossed' or 'Lost' list. Most intelligent people, even plant lovers would reason and state, “Sorry Begonia. But I think we’ve seen better days.” Of course, this past summer, I gave it one last chance. I stuck it outdoors and let it do its thing. When the weather changed, I brought it inside. I replenished its soil and gave it a new pot. It received less water and frankly a lot less love. But sometimes, like this Begonia and this longer than usual, unbearable winter, the message is - ‘Don’t give up.’

Deepak Chopra states, “In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” Winter serves as a constant reminder that sometimes we must sit still. When you need to have some movement and chaos, get yourself a temperamental houseplant. And don’t forget that spring sneaks up on us, so be prepared. Until then, ‘Phoe’s Cleo’ and her beautiful blossoms keep color and magic alive.

© Images by Ann Bilowz

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