 Placing greenery in front of one's windows allows us to imagine what
spring will look like... at least until the plants die of
dehydration.It's not that I plan to deprive them of water; it's
simply that my "rememory" is busted.
Chances are, I will have to replace every potted plant by the
spring. It's a destructive cycle that I insist on trying to break
every year.
I buy plants in the spring to enhance my deck and porch. I let
Mother Nature take care of them throughout spring, summer and fall.
Hands down, she does a better job than I do.
Then, when warned of imminent frost, I drag them all indoors. I
should be commended for this act of selflessness, at least.
However, inevitably, sometime during the winter, I'll realize
that I forgot to water them. My first clue would be the brown,
withered stalks sticking haphazardly out of a pot of dirt. Of
course, I'd water them immediately, hoping to witness a
resurrection. Unfortunately, miracles have never been my forte.
You may ask why I don't simply leave them outside if I'm going to
kill them anyway. That would certainly save me from the questioning
looks from guests who see only pots of dirt decorating my
windowsills.
The reason, of course, is that there is a huge difference between
negligence and murder. Though the result is the same, I can forgive
my forgetfulness, but intentionally leaving them outside to freeze
is unacceptable.
[to top of second column]
 |
 An acquaintance of mine recently gifted me with a fistful of
peacock feathers. I write "fistful" because many people may not
understand if I called it what I actually saw: a bouquet. They were
stalks of iridescent blue-greenery topped with beautiful heads
reminiscent of flowers... a bouquet. I was delighted!
I have been looking for a tall, clear vase in which to display
them, but I have yet to find the perfect one.
Lately, though, I have been formulating a half-baked plan.
These little beauties will never die. I don't have to water them,
place them in the sun or let Mother Nature take care of them.
When one of my plants on the windowsill dies, I can stick a bunch
of feathers in the pot so my guests won't think I am baking dirt.
The only problem is that I only have the one bouquet.
Feathers don't reproduce. I need the bird that produces these
feathers.
This leaves me with one question:
How often do peacocks need to be watered?
[By LAURA SNYDER]
Laura Snyder is a nationally syndicated columnist,
author and speaker. You can reach her at
lsnyder@lauraonlife.com
or visit www.lauraonlife.com
for more info. |
