Good morning and welcome to the latest installment of The Orchad Tales, where your hoddler-in-chief documents the life os his orchid, Planty.
Catch up on parts 3-10 here (Again, this is an open request for anyone who can find Parts 1 and 2):
Part III / Part IV / Part V / Part VI / Part VII / Part VIII / Part IX / Part X
The cherry blossoms are blooming. The tidal basin is dotted with white and pink petals, gifts from Japan many years ago. Spring is here and lovely pastels adorn Washington DC.
Inside my apartment, near my east-facing window, the seven violet-colorued flowers on my orchid have fallen off. Another life-span come and gone. These blooms first blossomed in December, with the final one arriving some time after the new year.
They remained resilient in the dark and gloomy winter, brightening each morning that came and went.
Now, the stalk that grew from the orchid bulb is turning from a beautiful green to brown. The energy and effort it spent to carry the blooms have taken their toll.
Now the orchid begins the next stage of its life: rest.
And that’s what I’ll allow it to do. It will rest and once the stalk is ready to fall off I will prune it. There is one additional leaf that appears to be fading, which will also require some more monitoring.
Planty is entering its fourth year in existence, a living token of my time here in DC. Because of it my entire living room arrangement is slightly off-centre, but Planty’s well-being takes precedence over my aesthetic.
The crown of thorns and ponytail palm I bought in October to accompany it remain, although the former is looking in rough shape. And I’ve since replaced two dead Trader Joe’s plants with a new one, placing it slightly closer towards the window.
There is still some space for more plants here. Perhaps that’s what I’ll do. Bring one or two more into the fold while Planty gets its well-deserved rest.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Te Lloré Un Río, by Mana
And now for your links:
Dan KP: “Tottenham facing major Cristian Romero dilemma as new transfer interest emerges”
Football London: “Tottenham’s best 25 players of the last 25 years: 15-11 revealed”
BBC: “‘I won’t let this define me’- [Aidy] Boothroyd on Parkinson’s diagnosis”