cultivating my off-green thumb

It's really a love-hate relationship between me and plants, and I've come to terms with it.

I love them and they hate me.

But, I am relentless in my love and I fully intend to wear them down until it's at least a love-tolerance relationship.

But guys, I killed an air plant. An air plant. Do you know how hard those things are to kill? I even followed the water-every-10-days rule. And still, there it is shriveled up and dry, as a testament to my shortcomings.

So I'm wiping the slate clean and starting fresh. I made a run to Home Depot and picked myself up a handful of succulents to replace all the dead ones. But I was most excited to fill up the planter I bought from the Ruibal's garden party in November. (Yes, I'm a procrastinator too, but that's another issue.) I also snagged a pre-made succulent pot just in case mine turned out to be a dud - you've gotta have a backup, you know?

I didn't really have a vision for what I was doing as I started picking and planting, aside from wanting a variety of colors, textures, and sizes to mix and play with. And I figured that whatever didn't fit in the large planter could get popped into one of the many empty ones that seem to be floating around our apartment.

After a lot of potting soil spilled on the kitchen floor and dirt firmly wedged under every nail, I think I made it happen! I'm most thrilled with the way the big planter turned out, spilling over with the rich greens and deep purples of the different plants as they blend together.

Now the real test starts, let's see how long they last, shall we? I'll keep you posted...