Having a long track record of killing any and all plants in my care, I find it difficult to buy new plants because I feel like I’m taking them home to their doom. To combat this I tend to pick the plants on the brink of death because in my mind, their life trajectory would have ended a lot sooner if I hadn’t intervened.

A few months ago, I bought this shriveled in parts, crunchy in other parts cactus. This was my first cactus so I wasn’t too sure I would be able to rescue it. As most half-dead plants, this plant was on sale (another perk to buying sad looking plants). I heard my friends name their plants, but I never did. If I did and they died, it felt a lot more personal. On a whim, I named this one Oscar which came to me in Ace Hardware where I purchased this little guy.

Fast forward to now and this baby is THRIVING and it’s completely thrilling to me. Get this: not only is Oscar growing several new buds in various stages of development, there is a teeny tiny bud of a different kind of succulent that’s growing in the same container as Oscar. I’m so glad no one was home at the time of my discovery because I ran around yelling like a mad woman. I’M STILL SO EXCITED!

When I planted this guy, I used soil and remnants of another plant that sadly I could not rescue. I read somewhere on the interwebs that even plants that have died still have nutritious soil. In an effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle, I planted Oscar in a bowl with half new succulent soil and half soil with dead plant parts. And I’ll be damned if there isn’t life growing where none was before. I am willing myself to not be over bearing on this little sprout. When I get excited about my plant babies, I tend to over water. I’m the equivalent of a helicopter parent and it never works.

Here’s to rising from the ashes, or in this case, rising from the dead plant soil. Wish me luck!

Kindly,

Maegan