CHRISTEPHI

In my youth I was "early to bed and early to rise," typically getting up before the sun. These days, not so much. Hubby and the kids are night owls, which means I'm usually up late right along with them. And when I stay up late, I sleep in late the next morning. (Because sleep deprivation is for the birds.) This morning, however, I was up early and caught this beautiful beam of the just-risen sun casting shadows of my jade plant on the kitchen wall. Due to the position of the window, and neighboring houses and trees, it only stayed illuminated like this for less than five minutes. Five magical minutes, and I captured it!

After all my talk about being a plant murderer, I discovered this beauty in my living room!  My mom gave me this Christmas Cactus over the summer, and it has survived thus far on a shelf behind the TV.  Maybe it likes the warmth back there. Little Guy was actually the one who discovered it was blooming.  He came running from the front of the house and tugged at my arm, "Pink fwowers, Mama, pink fwowers! Come see!"  He danced a little jig when he showed me his discovery. Is it normal for a Christmas Cactus to bloom in March?

I once read that every room should have something living in it.  And I do love houseplants!  There's something so magical about a green, thriving thing sharing your space.  There are also  all kinds of benefits to having houseplants.  But that only works if you don't murder your plants. I am a plant murderer. A once-beautiful dracaena tree. I can't count the number of once thriving houseplants I've destroyed over the years.  Overwatering.  Underwatering. The blame doesn't lie entirely with me.  I water them when I'm supposed to.  I even give them plant food sometimes.  But I've never lived somewhere that has the right conditions.  We only have northwest and southeast facing windows.  They're small windows and only rarely get any direct sun shining through them.  All the windows have deep roof overhangings and they all have UV coating that blocks the sort of light plants love from entering. The ficus, or Rubb...