Day 335: Spider Plant

Day 335: Spider Plant, originally uploaded by susanvg.

This spider plant is one of many plants in my house. I read years ago that it helps to rid the air of pollution. I like to think that my plants and I both have something to offer each other. I offer them water which they "exhale" as oxygen.

I read the spider plants are "a popular plant with beginners, as it is easy to grow and propagate and is very tolerant of neglect..." I am afraid mine has had to put up with being nibbled on by my cats, being under-watered when life goes into overdrive and yet it continues to grow and send off shoots. Life is tenacious.

Day 111: Cuttings

Day 111: Clippings, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A plant is sometimes so much more than a plant. It holds a history, has a past. My mother loved plants. This leaf has a direct line to her and to my past. As her dieffenbachia got leggy, she would chop the stem and re-root the pieces to create new plants. All her family and friends had cuttings from her plants.

I continue her example, nurturing plants, making cuttings when I can and sharing with friends and family. We pass on genes, but we pass on family and friendship in so many other ways.