She is indeed sticking with me, Penny. And mostly, she's been happy with that choice and has flourished. This last move was a hard one, but we're both recovering. :)
Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Arabella, Susan. Two years ago I was given a Christmas cactus as a parting gift by co-workers. She (as yet, unnamed, but soon to be!) has produced hundreds of beautiful pink flowers since then. Last year I received cuttings from three plants from friends. I rooted them and have seen all three bloom beautiful shades of deep red, purple, and light red. I love this delightful plant! They all live happily in the garden window of my kitchen, which faces northeast.
It sounds like you have the magic touch with Schlumbergeras, Pat! I'm interested that yours do well in a northeast-facing window since that is usually a difficult spot for them. When you say "garden window," do you mean the sort of window that is like a mini-greenhouse, with glass on three sides? If so, that could be why they're happy there since they receive a lot more light than if they were by a conventional window.
Hi Susan, Yes, my garden window is glass-enclosed on three sides. The window gets direct sunlight for most of the morning. The window receives more and more morning light as the earth tilts toward spring. I live in semi-tropical Florida, so in late spring-late summer I have to filter the sunlight because it is so strong. I just checked the compass on my phone and it says my garden window faces East with a slight tilt toward the north.
That makes sense for Schlumbergeras. They're adapted to "gap sunlight," meaning the canopies of the trees they live in filter direct light except for periods of the day when it's direct and can be strong. So your garden window gives them what they need until late spring and summer, when you give them the equivalent of a tree canopy to filer the light. A great location for them!
Thanks, Stephanie! Arabella has moved with me from Cody, Wyoming, to Santa Fe, two moves there, then back to Cody, then to Montrose, then the nearby small town of Paonia, then back to Santa Fe (two moves there again), and now back to Montrose but with the complication of a month in the cabin, where she hooked a branch on the too-narrow front door and we both crashed to the ground. Not a good way to begin our stay here. But this house is perfect for her, and we're both recovering.
Together with your message I took it as affirmation for the thank you I messaged to Michael Bennet for his grilling of Kennedy yesterday... (sorry to bring it up on your lovely site but it fit for me)
Thank you, Susan, for being a fount of knowledge, not just on plants but also on the political climate. My mom loved Christmas cacti in her houseplant collection, along with coleus, violets and some I’m forgetting. NW Pennsylvania. Since I moved to Florida, Jade Plants have been prized by two different partners. I have a modest interest in native perennials, which survived our recent winter conditions. Low 20’s and ice, sleet, and very granular freezing rain, forming an amalgam like conglomerate rock. As this month rolls on into February, my threat detectors will be on high alert. The huge Ram 3500’s and Ford-350’s (predominately 4 wheel drive) tower over our Prius. A one-finger salute can just as easily be met with brandishing of weapons or simply being run over.
I appreciate more than ever having just joined a meditation practice, with gratitude woven in with it. A seasoned leader. I extend well wishes your way, Susan, for calm times, creativity, and the awe for Nature.
May your native perennials survive the freezing weather, Gary! (Remember that they've thrived there through many weather ups and downs over the millennia, plus they have relationships with others in the community of the land which sustain them, something non-native plants do not have.) And your Prius and you will survive these times too, despite the giant trucks. Meditation is an excellent practice to take up as a way to bolster your own inner light. Good for you!
You’re so right, Susan. The native perennials look unscathed. The jungle/not jungle plant, Acanthus, fared far better than my hydrangea children. A phenomenal side of my recently initiated meditation plus gratitude sessions are virtual. A link pops up in my message box around 7:15 pm EST, opening of which activates the session. Normally I’d prefer a face to face experience. At present some interrelated mobility difficulties make it a blessing. “When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.” She co-hosted a program called Mind of Curiosity along with another woman I’ve known for ≈5 years. Close to face to face.
I do believe that Buddhist saying, and I am glad that you have the opportunity to practice, even if it can't be face to face. It's what you need in a form you can participate in, and that's what matters. And yay for your resilient native perennials! (I'm sorry about the hydrangeas though.)
She's a beauty and what a wonderful companion to have grace your home. It's been a difficult week..both personally and corporately.. it was nice to see your bright spot of blooms in my day.
I was hoping Arabella would provide us all with a bright spot in these difficult times. May the moments of light buoy you through these times, Kathleen. Blessings back to you!
Oh my gosh, Susan ... I was rapt the whole seven minutes. How special! How heartening! Thank you so much for this. I fell in love with Arabella when you first mentioned her the day before your move, that photo of her as the last thing left in your bedroom in your former home. I am so happy to hear the story of how you both survived the move and are putting forth new leaf segments...both of you. 💚 (P.S. I'm the same age as both of you. Here's to us 1956 gals!)
Jeanne, Thank you for watching and being as charmed by Arabella as I am! She's been such an inspiration to me as we've gone through eight moves, house to house, state to state, in the past decade. (Including two memorable moves in blizzards, where I wasn't sure either of us would emerge alive.) And yes, 1956 was a good year. :) Hugs to you!
I have 5 pots with Arabella's cousins. They all descend from the huge plant that belonged to my grandmother. I'm 78, and hers was 4' wide when I was a child. Over many years, when branches get broken off, I put them in their own pots...just can't throw them in the compost! Thank you for introducing Arabella, I agree that these are living, personable parts of my family!
Kathleen, Aren't Schlumbergeras amazing? They're old-growth plants like redwoods in their own way. I'm heartened to hear that the cutting from your grandmother's plant is still thriving as five plants now, and that you cherish them as I do Arabella. Blessings to you and to Arabella's cousins. :)
What a delightful video and story! I, too, have a Christmas Cactus that has been with me for 26 years. I haven't named her, but I may do so. She was given to me by a colleague who was retiring and had many travel plans. I often admired the plant, so she asked if I would take her home. She has been through three moves and suffers now in front of the north-facing window. I plan to move her to a west window in my office.
Aren't they amazing plants, Sue? I'm glad that your colleague gifted you with hers. Christmas cactuses are so long-lived that they need to be passed along from one plant-lover to another, and their long-term care provided for. I suspect yours will be much happier in the west window in your office, as long as she doesn't get too much sun there in the heat of summer. (You'll know if her leaves begin to take on a reddish tint on the sunny side. The red pigment is protection against sunburn.) Enjoy her!
Thank you for watching the video and commenting, Linda. It occurs to me that we share the sky, even though I am now west of the Continental Divide and you are east of it (and a good ways north of me). It's the same expanse of seemingly endless blue (or gray and stormy, or white and icy) we both take such delight in. That's a comforting thought somehow.
Thanks, Karen! She is, and an inspiration too. Plus, she's good company, especially as a breathing buddy, quietly breathing oxygen nearby, and inhaling the carbon dioxide I exhale.
Thank you, Linda! Arabella and I are indeed fortunate to share this life. And since she will likely outlive me, I need to make sure that when I move on to whatever is next after this existence, she'll have a good home with someone else.
I agree, Phyllis! Finding hope and connection in nature nearby is more important than ever now, whether it's hanging out with Arabella or a walk along an arroyo. Practicing our terraphilia may well be what saves us.
Linnea, I love that you passed the pothos on to your neighbor! Sharing plants is a real gift. May your Christmas cactus can soak up the sunlight and store energy to bloom next winter. Life is more resilient than we think, and that gives me a great deal of hope.
What’s amazing is Arabella’s resilience through your many moves. That kid is stickin’ with ya ! ♥️
She is indeed sticking with me, Penny. And mostly, she's been happy with that choice and has flourished. This last move was a hard one, but we're both recovering. :)
Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Arabella, Susan. Two years ago I was given a Christmas cactus as a parting gift by co-workers. She (as yet, unnamed, but soon to be!) has produced hundreds of beautiful pink flowers since then. Last year I received cuttings from three plants from friends. I rooted them and have seen all three bloom beautiful shades of deep red, purple, and light red. I love this delightful plant! They all live happily in the garden window of my kitchen, which faces northeast.
It sounds like you have the magic touch with Schlumbergeras, Pat! I'm interested that yours do well in a northeast-facing window since that is usually a difficult spot for them. When you say "garden window," do you mean the sort of window that is like a mini-greenhouse, with glass on three sides? If so, that could be why they're happy there since they receive a lot more light than if they were by a conventional window.
Hi Susan, Yes, my garden window is glass-enclosed on three sides. The window gets direct sunlight for most of the morning. The window receives more and more morning light as the earth tilts toward spring. I live in semi-tropical Florida, so in late spring-late summer I have to filter the sunlight because it is so strong. I just checked the compass on my phone and it says my garden window faces East with a slight tilt toward the north.
That makes sense for Schlumbergeras. They're adapted to "gap sunlight," meaning the canopies of the trees they live in filter direct light except for periods of the day when it's direct and can be strong. So your garden window gives them what they need until late spring and summer, when you give them the equivalent of a tree canopy to filer the light. A great location for them!
Arabella is beautiful! I remember it too quite the planning to get her from New Mexico to Colorado! So glad she's home with you now.
Thanks, Stephanie! Arabella has moved with me from Cody, Wyoming, to Santa Fe, two moves there, then back to Cody, then to Montrose, then the nearby small town of Paonia, then back to Santa Fe (two moves there again), and now back to Montrose but with the complication of a month in the cabin, where she hooked a branch on the too-narrow front door and we both crashed to the ground. Not a good way to begin our stay here. But this house is perfect for her, and we're both recovering.
Always enjoy seeing Arabella!
Together with your message I took it as affirmation for the thank you I messaged to Michael Bennet for his grilling of Kennedy yesterday... (sorry to bring it up on your lovely site but it fit for me)
Thank you for messaging Michael Bennet, Sue. I agree that his questions were spot-on and his tenacity was much appreciated.
Thank you, Susan, for being a fount of knowledge, not just on plants but also on the political climate. My mom loved Christmas cacti in her houseplant collection, along with coleus, violets and some I’m forgetting. NW Pennsylvania. Since I moved to Florida, Jade Plants have been prized by two different partners. I have a modest interest in native perennials, which survived our recent winter conditions. Low 20’s and ice, sleet, and very granular freezing rain, forming an amalgam like conglomerate rock. As this month rolls on into February, my threat detectors will be on high alert. The huge Ram 3500’s and Ford-350’s (predominately 4 wheel drive) tower over our Prius. A one-finger salute can just as easily be met with brandishing of weapons or simply being run over.
I appreciate more than ever having just joined a meditation practice, with gratitude woven in with it. A seasoned leader. I extend well wishes your way, Susan, for calm times, creativity, and the awe for Nature.
May your native perennials survive the freezing weather, Gary! (Remember that they've thrived there through many weather ups and downs over the millennia, plus they have relationships with others in the community of the land which sustain them, something non-native plants do not have.) And your Prius and you will survive these times too, despite the giant trucks. Meditation is an excellent practice to take up as a way to bolster your own inner light. Good for you!
You’re so right, Susan. The native perennials look unscathed. The jungle/not jungle plant, Acanthus, fared far better than my hydrangea children. A phenomenal side of my recently initiated meditation plus gratitude sessions are virtual. A link pops up in my message box around 7:15 pm EST, opening of which activates the session. Normally I’d prefer a face to face experience. At present some interrelated mobility difficulties make it a blessing. “When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.” She co-hosted a program called Mind of Curiosity along with another woman I’ve known for ≈5 years. Close to face to face.
I do believe that Buddhist saying, and I am glad that you have the opportunity to practice, even if it can't be face to face. It's what you need in a form you can participate in, and that's what matters. And yay for your resilient native perennials! (I'm sorry about the hydrangeas though.)
She's a beauty and what a wonderful companion to have grace your home. It's been a difficult week..both personally and corporately.. it was nice to see your bright spot of blooms in my day.
Blessings, Kathleen
I was hoping Arabella would provide us all with a bright spot in these difficult times. May the moments of light buoy you through these times, Kathleen. Blessings back to you!
Oh my gosh, Susan ... I was rapt the whole seven minutes. How special! How heartening! Thank you so much for this. I fell in love with Arabella when you first mentioned her the day before your move, that photo of her as the last thing left in your bedroom in your former home. I am so happy to hear the story of how you both survived the move and are putting forth new leaf segments...both of you. 💚 (P.S. I'm the same age as both of you. Here's to us 1956 gals!)
Jeanne, Thank you for watching and being as charmed by Arabella as I am! She's been such an inspiration to me as we've gone through eight moves, house to house, state to state, in the past decade. (Including two memorable moves in blizzards, where I wasn't sure either of us would emerge alive.) And yes, 1956 was a good year. :) Hugs to you!
I have 5 pots with Arabella's cousins. They all descend from the huge plant that belonged to my grandmother. I'm 78, and hers was 4' wide when I was a child. Over many years, when branches get broken off, I put them in their own pots...just can't throw them in the compost! Thank you for introducing Arabella, I agree that these are living, personable parts of my family!
Kathleen, Aren't Schlumbergeras amazing? They're old-growth plants like redwoods in their own way. I'm heartened to hear that the cutting from your grandmother's plant is still thriving as five plants now, and that you cherish them as I do Arabella. Blessings to you and to Arabella's cousins. :)
What a delightful video and story! I, too, have a Christmas Cactus that has been with me for 26 years. I haven't named her, but I may do so. She was given to me by a colleague who was retiring and had many travel plans. I often admired the plant, so she asked if I would take her home. She has been through three moves and suffers now in front of the north-facing window. I plan to move her to a west window in my office.
Aren't they amazing plants, Sue? I'm glad that your colleague gifted you with hers. Christmas cactuses are so long-lived that they need to be passed along from one plant-lover to another, and their long-term care provided for. I suspect yours will be much happier in the west window in your office, as long as she doesn't get too much sun there in the heat of summer. (You'll know if her leaves begin to take on a reddish tint on the sunny side. The red pigment is protection against sunburn.) Enjoy her!
Thank you for sharing Arabella and her message with us, Susan. Blessings to you too.
Thank you for watching the video and commenting, Linda. It occurs to me that we share the sky, even though I am now west of the Continental Divide and you are east of it (and a good ways north of me). It's the same expanse of seemingly endless blue (or gray and stormy, or white and icy) we both take such delight in. That's a comforting thought somehow.
Lovely Arabella.
Thanks, Karen! She is, and an inspiration too. Plus, she's good company, especially as a breathing buddy, quietly breathing oxygen nearby, and inhaling the carbon dioxide I exhale.
It was so lovely to meet Arabella. Thank you. What resilence and what hope! You are so lucky to have each other.
Thank you, Linda! Arabella and I are indeed fortunate to share this life. And since she will likely outlive me, I need to make sure that when I move on to whatever is next after this existence, she'll have a good home with someone else.
We need all the Arabella we can get in these tumultuous times!
I agree, Phyllis! Finding hope and connection in nature nearby is more important than ever now, whether it's hanging out with Arabella or a walk along an arroyo. Practicing our terraphilia may well be what saves us.
Susan, I placed the Christmas cactus where you said to. Here's a terra-prayer to it flourishing there! My cute little neighbor adopted the pothos.
Linnea, I love that you passed the pothos on to your neighbor! Sharing plants is a real gift. May your Christmas cactus can soak up the sunlight and store energy to bloom next winter. Life is more resilient than we think, and that gives me a great deal of hope.
Arabella & friend.
Sap and air flow, heartbeats pound,
while there is still life.
Thank you for that lovely poem, Marisol! Beautifully said. And I am grateful to live with Arabella in this existence, here and now.