I did not inherit my father’s green thumb. He can take a standard two-foot tall rubber tree houseplant and make it grow over 20 feet. He had to move the plant outside to rival the towering pine in front of their house. What’s his secret? He’s been juicing all these years. His drug of choice: Miracle-Gro. On my last visit to LA in August, my dad sent me home with a pile of clippings from his succulent plants. My mom was just happy to see my dad trimming down the gargantuan plants.
Succulents are my kind of plants. Just stick ‘em in the ground and they take root and grow. They don’t need water or even good soil. Actually they do better with less of both. They are the most forgiving of plants which suits my forgetfulness perfectly. Not only are they easy to care for, they are the most striking of plants, to me. They resemble sea creatures in vibrant colors. The more weird and odd-looking, the more captivating.
This past Sunday, a friend called to see what I was doing. I told her nothing in particular. She had the same plans, so I invited her and her kids over so we could do nothing in particular together. The kids played in the front yard while I swept up tents and tarps from our summer camping trips. My friend, a high-functioning surgical resident, was itching to occupy her hands and asked for something to do. Hmm….let me see. I looked at the pile of succulent buds sitting in the corner of my yard for over a month, which were already starting to take root. I told her she could have a go at planting them, if she liked. She went to town. She created these beautiful succulent mixes in empty pots I had laying around. The terracotta piggy pot was left by the prior homeowner and we found it hiding in the ivy when hunting for more succulent stems to break off. To show my appreciation, I gave her a couple of the succulent pots to take home with her. She should enjoy her beautiful handiwork too.
What a great friend! She inspired me to go to the garden store and fill a planter that once contained my dead tomato and carrot plants.
-Catherine Lo
poche de maman 