Sunday, September 20, 2009

Conversation Piece [Updated 4-4-10]















This is a protea. Although one may find the cut flowers gracing arrangements from the florist, it is unusual to find a growing plant for sale. So, when we saw this one at our local Trader Joe's, we had to have it. Visible through the back window of the car as we completed our shopping, it caused many people to stop, peer at it and speculate on what it might be.

A month after these photos were taken, the plant was dead. Our primary mistake was disturbing the rootball when the plant was moved to a larger pot. (For those interested in learning more about the care of proteas, here is a good source we discovered after the fact.)

The lessons from this experience are (1) do not assume the care instructions on a plant label are complete (or even correct), and (2) do research the care and cultivation of any plant you bring home--do it as soon as you get home. Why else do we have the internet?