Bloom Where You Are Planted

January 15, 2012 Gaga

Everything you want to know about bloom where you are planted you can learn from a carousel pony. People that love you will stand by you. Joy reflects in your face. Life has its ups and downs. There’s always a blur of activity around you. You can enjoy the ride or not. Hold on, don’t fall off. You can bloom or remain blind to what’s going on around you. Someone’s always on your back; it can be merry or burdensome. “OUI” look better with a fresh coat of paint. How is a potted plant and a carousel pony very different? Neither a potted plant nor a carousel pony has a choice where “OUI” plant them or who messes with them. Others make life and death choices for them. Are you haunted by the ghosts of plants you’ve killed with kindness?

Let me tell you a story about a potted plant that grew & grew until she came to be named Audrey, by Big Daddy, critical half of the “OUI” Team, see OUI Theory  after Little Shop of Horrors Star, YouTube. You see, Big Daddy had to move Audrey from Texas where everything grows bigger, of course, in Old Gray, his pick-up truck. I can’t believe I didn’t catch a picture of that, visualize the Clampett’s of the Beverley Hillbillies sitcom as he drove away when Old Gray was loaded. He built a fully insulated wardrobe box and roped ‘er in directly behind the cab and drove Audrey 700 miles to her new home and she didn’t drop a leaf.

Maybe a couple of wind tears, but that’s it. Here’s Audrey’s life story: My mother passed away the Friday before Memorial Day, 1994. The tales I could tell you about this magical woman are epic. Trust me when I tell you everyone did as she told them. She affectionately has been referred to as Grambo, after the movie series Rambo and the “General”. One of her favorite sayings was “love you best.” She had a way of making everyone feel they were the one that was the most special to her. Our son, Michael www.michaeldarinfox.com took a Croton plant home from her memorial service.  Michael was her first born grandson and the apple of her eye, and I’m pretty sure he loved her best. “Croton” plants are from the genus Codiaeum which is different from the genus Croton in the same family. It’s confusing but they all seem to get lumped into the same group. Crotons are native to the Old World Tropics and the most commonly grown variety Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum is native to the Pacific Islands and Malay Peninsula, not Texas.

This potted plant has seen a lot  in its 18 years. Michael took it home and it languished. He brought it to me and said “Mom, please save this plant from Grandma’s memorial.” I put it by the fireplace with indirect light and it did well. It’s been transplanted to the large ceramic plant you see and “OUI” drag it in and out for the summer months. I hose it down like a fireman before bringing it in for the winter so I don’t bring in spider mites and all sorts of little critters. It endures. Now it weighs so much I think it has to stay in-doors year round. I love this plant. “OUI” love this plant. Now it would take a hand truck to move it and it’s pretty much stationary. Did you know house plants are nature’s air filters?

The natural filtration process within plants can remove up to 87% of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) from the air according to NASA research. The EPA ranks indoor polution as one of the top threats to your health. There’s lots of info at o2foryou.org. So now Audrey provides good clean air for the lower level of the house, and we can breath easy and all live happily ever after as long as we don’t have to move Audrey and she doesn’t try to eat us like the plant in Little Shop of Horrors Audrey ;).

On a light sweet note my sister-in-law that I have known since we were both 17, sent a Christmas Cactus to me for Christmas over 5 years ago and I put it outside here in Illinois where I thought it got sun-burned. I put it in this succulent pot and l brought it in and it bloomed magnificently on Halloween.