So a while back - quite a while back, it turns out - I blogged about my hunt for a Cissus, either antarctica or rhombifolia, I wasn't going to be fussy. It was a long search, so I was very happy indeed when I ran it to earth in a hobby nursery (I say hobby as it was in such a state it could not possibly be being run as a professional business - dead plants everywhere are not the bestest of adverts, don't you think ?)
I'll remind you that my loving DH paid £6.95 (nearly $11) for a teensy little rooted cutting which looked like this:
Almost totally abandoning my theory of mothering, I cosseted that plant - but only when no-one was looking. Cosseting doesn't count if you are the only one who knows about it and it is done secretly behind closed doors when everyone is asleep or out. It had the best windowsill, the correct amount of watering, the perfect compost, it was spoken to lovingly in the tenderest of whispers .... in spite of all this, last week DH compelled me to admit that it wasn't just dormant, but that it had literally curled up and died:
I'm not sure if you can quite make out that it had had a little growth spurt of lovely baby soft green leaves: titillating me and drawing me wickedly into a presumptuous and premature expectation - nay, more solid than that even - more of a complacent smirk of success.
Just as I had made the decision to admit defeat and add this to the brown bin, we happened to make a trip to The Range (tagline: 'if we don't sell it, you don't need it'). Out the back in the gardening section was this:
About 10 plants of Cissus rhombifolia 'Ellen Danica'. For the absolute bargain price of £3.99 ($6.30) each. I could not grab one quick enough. In fact, I nearly grabbed two, but I managed to overcome the impulse of greed. Handsome, healthy plants of a decent size - from Holland, I was told. And here is the one that came home with me and my huge smile so wide that it showed teeth and everything:
I know no fear. For XIII Death is inextricably linked with III The Empress. Without one you cannot have the other. But I shan't be cheating with this one.
Wow - that's a brilliant looking big plant you've got there. It might not like being in the house though, so be careful. Can't tell you the number of fuchsias I lost, think that they'd like some mollycoddling in the house - but it was LOADS.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this one!
Ali x
It is a houseplant so needs to be indoors :-) it would deffo die if I put it outside right now ....
DeleteI bought a plant in early December. I haven't watered it once. I should really see to that, shouldn't I?
ReplyDeleteUmm.... yep :-D
DeleteThose are lovely Ribbit. I'm glad the hunt went well.
ReplyDeleteI do not have the best luck with plants. I managed to get some peonies growing in 2009/10 but last year nothing.