Heading Overseas

When I was a kid, our family home had a sunroom, which I filled with indoor plants, it was my thing, my hobby. I loved nothing more than getting some cuttings from wherever and disappearing up the side of the house, where I kept my pots and potting mix and such things, potting them up and then taking them to join my sunroom collection. Every surface of that sunroom was covered in pots of green leaves and occasionally flowers.

I loved it. And I, seemed, to have green fingers as everything I planted grew. I found a lot of joy in those ever changing plants.

So, I guess, it comes as no surprise that my house now is filled with indoor plants. I even have one, I call it my first ever plant, a begonia, which now towers over our heads. I'd forgotten about it when I headed out into the world and discovered boys and dancing and a new life. However, some time ago now, mum and I were out in her garden looking around when I spotted a pot up the side of the house amongst the plants.

"What's that?"

"Oh, that is that old begonia," said mum. "I think it was one of your plants. Take it."

So, I did. It was worse for wear, with weeds growing out of it, but a repot and some attention and it grew easily. Now a days it is six feet tall, actually, probably taller. It is the plants which sometimes hangs down and scratches our heads as we walk under it, which Sam is always, "Cut this! Cut this!"

I have a glass roofed walkway between the front of the house and the back of the house, which is filled with indoor plants, which I call the lungs of the house.

So, going overseas I wonder how they are all going to fare? Will they all be all right? I give the big plants a litre of water a week, so over six weeks.... The maidenhair ferns are going to struggle. The big begonias, the big ficus, the fiddle leaf figs, the palms, the rubber plants, the devils ivy, the Red Dracaena will survive. The succulents and the aspidistras won't care. I wonder what state they will be in by the time we get home, though?

It will be winter here, though, so they need a lot less attention in their dormant period. I am guessing they will all be just fine. I hope so. 

I'm just going to have to find someone to look after my maidenhair ferns. (It belonged to a good friend of mine who killed himself 10 years ago, so it has a lot of sentimental value. And recently, I have divide off two smaller plants)
Funny, I tentatively suggested a friend of mine look after the maidenhair ferns, and he said, "No, I'd rather not, I don't want to be responsible for killing them.'
"You won't, and I wouldn't hold it against you even if you did," I said. "You're a better chance than leaving them here."
He looked nervous at the thought.
"All you have to do is water them," I said. "That is it. I promise."
I'll work on that.
Or, I just put them out in the garden, as I said, it will be winter after all. There would probably be enough rain to get them through alive, I suppose. I hope.