Remember when I planted a cactus garden for my birthday and I said I gave it a month because even though cacti are suppose to be one of those hard to kill plants I always manage to kill them quickly?
I can't remember if that was last year or the year before, but I still have one cactus left. I replanted it a couple of weeks ago and it's actually growing. Of course, it was probably the least interesting looking cactus of the bunch. It doesn't even really look like a cactus, but it has one thing over them other plants. It still lives.
I repotted several plants at the same time and my other not-so-attractive plant now looks very nice. Last year I tried to send it on it's way (i.e., kill it off) by setting it outside and watering it infrequently. The plant (which I think is a type of aralia) consisted of a very skinny stick about 3 1/2 feet tall with 4 or 5 leaves at the top. And only the top. Not only was it scrawny and leafless, it listed badly to one side. Got the picture?
Well, it didn't die and it didn't freeze when it should have so I brought it back inside over the winter. It grew a few more leaves, but still looked like it was trying to grow horizontally. You should see it now. A new pot, some new soil, a little fertilizer. It doesn't lean and it has over a dozen leaves from top to bottom. I think I'll keep it after all.
The moral of the story is: Sometimes ugly has to survive. Anyway it can.
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