When my household goods first arrived, and I was still teaching... I could only unpack on the week nights and the weekends. About 4 days after the movers had delivered my household goods.... I unpacked a box to find this plastic container wrapped with 'packing tape' from the movers:
I took it outside so I could get a better look...
I didn't recognize this at all and I used my scissors to cut the tape so that I could see what was on the inside:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AAbDvs3tGDS7jLYWRv24DIECnnh4jUKg_pfNwABMIO_nOjM3BY9PBe1YEu6ehuONBIIjkaJz23mIU8FLyTydzeyD8YyYIS2wpYRwTUnscZ5yQPUmpjugBzDhshWQYbQB9TF1pKh6Yu0/s1600-h/germany+houses+238.jpg">
It was a plant! A plant that I had set aside to give away.... Yes, it is what is commonly referred to as a Christmas Plant. Yes, plants are illegal to mail and I'm sure to also ship in household goods! I quickly looked around to see if any of the neighbors noticed that I had opened up a plastic container holding a 'plant hostage.'
I was totally amazed that the plant was still alive. My household goods were packed up on June 4- spent a few months shipped in dark sea crates on a ship and then spent a month or so in a dark storage facility (and I'm sure it wasn't air-conditioned either) here in Germany and finally delivered to my house on Sept 4... and I unpacked this 'unexpected surprise' on September 8. I just can't believe that it was still alive- much less... 'green?'
I let it sit outside in the 'sunshine' for a few days. I figured it needed to breathe some fresh air and feel some sunshine on its leaves? Then, I gave it a new place to rest its weary feet. I think it continued to lose a few more leaves- from the shock of being in extremely different conditions when it was removed from the sealed plastic container and box.
I don't think it will have enough time to recover from the unexpected 'travel ordeal' to bloom this Christmas... but, maybe next year for sure?
You just never know what you'll find when you unpack a box.
6 comments:
What a lovely unexpected surprise! The plant was meant to come with you :)
Thanks...
That's one of the difficult things about moving- you have to give all your plants away...
I still can't believe that this plant was alive.
That is utterly amazing!
As I read about your little plant, I couldn't help but imagine an animated movie, of the Disney sort, about a little plant that makes it's way across the ocean to a new land, and the experiences it encounters along the way! ;-Þ
Hello, thanks for leaving a lovely comment about my cabled hat. The plant which you have is a Christmas Cactus, one of my very favourite indoor plants(Ireland). I have about 8 of these, at different stages of maturity and varied colours. The fact that it lived since June without water is very normal for this plant, instructions are that very little or no water is given until the flower buds appear, maybe about November, then water well until flowers disappear. Lizzy
How neat to have a plant from home ! I've always read that to have a Christmas Cactus bloom at Christmas time it is recommended to put it in a dark place for a few months !...I've never taken the time to do so but perhaps you will have some lovely blooms soon! Mary Ann/VT
better than what we got...after one move, we started unpacking and there came a smell and as the box got more empty, the smell grew worse...some dolt had packed a small but not empty trash can that had something in it that putrified...the can was not allowed to stay.
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