I
have a very beautiful white poinsettia gracing my office at the moment. It
worries me. I don’t have a green thumb and my previous experience with a
poinsettia was dismal. A friend presented me with a flourishing specimen on
December 6 one year and by Christmas Eve it had precisely one leaf hanging precariously on the stem.
Why
then did I decide to have another go? Well, I was sorry for this plant. We had
an abundance of them, both red and white, decorating Sacred Heart Chapel, the
Gathering Place and the Oratory. After Christmas most of them are taken away
and sisters are invited to take one if they’d like to. Poinsettias that aren’t
claimed go to make compost. And that’s what touched my heartstrings. There were
several plants left and I felt I had to save at least one from a freezing death
on the compost heap. I took the smallest one available in the hope that it
would seem a less overwhelming responsibility. It doesn’t. I’ve had it about a week now. It’s feeling a
bit dry and one or two of the leaves are yellowing. I think it needs watering
but I’m approaching that possibility with some trepidation as I’m pretty
certain the death of my last poinsettia was partly due to drowning.
Why
am I blogging about this? It’s an attempt to involve you! I’m feeling that if
this poinsettia could feel waves of positive thoughts about its survival coming
from you, it might give it a will to survive that can overcome the toxicity of
my ministrations. I care about my poinsettia, even though I’m not an ideal
foster parent for it. Please help my poinsettia to live!
Karen Rose, OSB
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ReplyDeleteMine is doing slightly better than your, so I think the vibes must be doing something - thank you. However, it is losing leaves more quickly than other poinsettias that were rescued at Christmas. Sister Karen
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