Plant Whisperer

My older sister, the brain surgeon, is also a big time green thumb. Bordering on fanatical. Seriously.

Long ago while she was still single, I once had to foliage sit. (I am telling you, I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted to) Inside her adorable 2 bedroom condo were at least 30 plants. The first day I arrived to water the plants I found intricate instructions on umbrage care. If she had the time to give me each plant’s botanical history, I am sure I would have been well versed.

Thankfully I was able to keep the plants alive and thriving for her return. It was actually more difficult caring for those plants than it was caring for my infant niece, her spawn. Who knew being an aunt to plants was going to scar me?

Four years ago when I moved back to this area, my sister gave me cuttings from 8 of her prized plants. These babies were packaged with much TLC and of course 8 pages of instructions. If I could read and purchase the correct potting soils, mix them to exact specifications, layer the bottom of the pots with stones of the precise size, shape and consistency and water them exactly as instructed, she had no reason to believe these plants would no thrive in my tutelage. Oy, the pressure.

I am proud to report that after 4 years all the offspring are flourishing. I have even had to repot 3 of them and without her knowledge or instruction. Amazing, I know. I used to experience a small amount of anxiety each time she came to visit. Before she could remove her coat or put her purse down, she would be at each pot checking its progress. She thought she was being covert about it but Dexter would have to wait for the perlustration to be complete before she would even pet her furry nephew. I mentioned it to her once and she has tried with all her might to ignore my plants when she enters my abode but then she experiences the anxiety. So I let her have free reign upon entrance so that the rest of her visit will go well.