on houseplants

Blog Post 48.

Kirk’s family was joking about his Grammy’s recent obsession with growing and propagating succulents in her home. A symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic, certainly. Like many elderly and at-risk folk, I, too, find myself confined to my apartment much more than I expected, and much more than I would like because I work a full-time job from home. Being of good health, and having already contracted and recuperated from the novel virus, I have the luxury of stepping outside at lower risk to myself and others- to run, to dine at local restaurants when it is deemed safe by the powers that be, to visit a select handful of friends and, now, to ski.

But right now I am sitting at my dinning table, taking a little break from calls and emails, and looking around at my own fecund array of succulents, dracaena, ficus, and other gentle green friends who adorn my living and working space. Maybe I’m also plant-obsessed?

Not only do I purchase new houseplants regularly (hard not to when the Plant Garage is so generous with their punch-card rewards), but I also propagate those willing for my own use (sense of purpose and responsibility?), and to gift to friends. From my present perch, I can count 27 separate species across 24 vessels in the living/dining/kitchen area alone. Granted, a pair of these belongs to Jack- I’m watching them while he visits family in Boston- and they have not lasted their stay here without my taking a trimming or two as payment.

I understand the infatuation and quite frankly, I lean into it. I mentioned a sense of purpose- I feel responsible (in small, consistent ways) for the wellbeing of these little organisms. I get to watch them grow, and to share their offshoots and the knowledge I’ve gained with the people who are important to me. Each plant has a quirk or characteristic that endears me and keeps me company.

I’ve always been a bit of a gardener, so I know this is not a fad, though it may be a permanent sort of obsession. And I know that, soon enough, I’ll be looking for a house with a yard to foster a bit more seasonality among my green companions. Until then, I rest easy knowing that, while most of these are not fruit-bearing, they are constant reminders of simple joys, of the gentle passage of time, and of the fruits of my labor.

Let me know if you’d like a houseplant for your own microcosm- God knows I have some jolly little fellows to spare.