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Thursday, September 24, 2015

This is what happens when *someone* leaves the ficus on the deck a day too long, in fall!



Last October, the nights turned frosty, I became unusually busy, and the ficus became one of those "to-dos" that never got done. I had pulled the ficus up close to the house, hoping that would shelter it from the frost. And it looked like I got it into the house just in the nick of time.

To my dismay, about a week later, all of the green leaves began to fall off the branches. The bare tree sat in the kitchen, near the window, all winter and spring, with me hoping some leaves would sprout. No leaves ever sprouted. I pulled the tree back onto the deck, with the idea to removed it from the pot and begin again, with something else.

Mid-July, to my surprise, leaves began springing up from the base of the plant. I hadn't been watering it, or doing anything to care for it, so this was truly a surprise. My new plan was to get out the saw and cut the bare trunk and bare branches off, and begin again with this newly sprouting ficus.

Again, distracted with life, this never happened. Then last week, I was at Jo Ann's Fabric and Crafts, and what would I see there, bare-branch trees, covered in mini lights, selling for $29.99!! Well, I have the bare-branch tree, and I have strands of mini lights. I got one strand of mini lights wrapped around the trunk and some branches, and will work another strand on later this week, if I feel it needs it. I'm waiting till dark to check the lights.


So, here's a free fall/Halloween decoration for my house, all thanks to my neglect! Don't you just love it when something like this happens!


12 comments:

  1. I had an indoor ficus years ago that dripped some sort of goo from it. I think bare branches with lights is a definite improvement from that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      oooh, that doesn't sound pleasant! Yuk! Glad there's no chance for goo dripping on this one for now!

      Delete
  2. Good for you on making the most of it! I put both my ficus and another unknown plant out this past weekend thinking they were in need of a sunshine boost. The ficus is great but the other poor plant dropped all of it's leaves--maybe I shocked it? So maybe I just need to load it up with lights. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      when our neighbor gave us this, when they moved, she did say that it was very susceptible to temperature change shock. Ours have lost leaves indoors in winter, and leaves have come back. So maybe yours will put out new leaves in a month or so? Here's hoping for that! Until then -- instant Hallowe'en decor, add lights and you're good to go!

      Delete
  3. I do, I do love when things like that happen. And the savings are great too! Brilliant Lili to turn things around for the better.
    Jayne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jayne,
      Sometimes neglect does pay off! I've had that in the garden, too. This past year, with the potatoes, I didn't get one section dug last fall, and they simply restarted in spring, giving me more potatoes than I would have had!

      Delete
  4. We have a ficus on our lanai for about 10 years providing shade and privacy. The plant was abandoned by a tenant on our job, and was looking so unkept and pitiful. Since it was The Ficus, we brought it home and it's grown so big it needed a repotting. When we're away on trips, no one waters it, but somehow it survives with just rainfall. Lucky us, we don't worry about temperature changes so much, but all in all, it is such a hardy, beautiful plant.

    I think there may still be hope for your ficus. Maybe the lights may rejuvenate it out of dormancy.

    YHF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi YHF,

      I'm hoping I can keep the small amount of new growth alive through winter. I'll keep it in a sunny window, and well-watered. It probably needs repotting, too.

      Delete
  5. I have never personally had a ficus plant, but what I'm gathering is that it is a hardy, finicky tree, that has as many lives as a cat. Sounds like a good investment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      Our neighbor gave us this ficus before my daughters were born, about 23 years ago. That's just so hard to believe that I've kept a houseplant alive for that long! They must be hardy!

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Hi Belinda,
      sometimes my neglect really pays off!

      Delete

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