Page 32 - ANTILL DGB

A32 FEATURE
Friday 20 March 2020
Finding joy indoors in troubled times, one leaf at a time

By MOLLY SPRAYREGEN
Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — I have
spent my first full week of
isolation carefully observ-
ing one of my houseplants.
Dylan, as my fiancee and I
so fondly call her, has been
growing new leaves at an
uncharacteristically rapid
rate.
It might be the longer hours
of daylight. But I imagine
Dylan’s new zest for life also
comes from the increased
attention we’ve paid to her
and the rest of our house-
plants now that we’re with
them in our apartment
24/7. At a time when so lit-
tle feels under control, one
thing we know is up to us is
the survival of these living
things we have committed
to taking care of.
We check on them more.
We give them more water.
Sometimes, we just stare at
them, taking in the beauty
and comfort they provide.
When we first decided to
take the leap into plant
ownership, before the out-
break of the coronavirus, I
simply wanted to brighten This March 2020 photo shows some of Molly Sprayregen's plants on her windowsill in Chicago, Ill.
our apartment. I’d been Associated Press

sprucing up the place with did it to be silly, yes, but it most all her shiny red-green
flowers, but had grown also felt instinctual. We had leaves were browned,
tired of spending money on spent an entire weekend crumpled and scattered
something that would die carefully selecting them across the floor. A few still
within days or weeks. from two different stores, hung limply from her now-
I had no idea how much joy and we hoped to keep muted green stem. The rest
the plants would bring me, them in our lives for many of our houseplants were
or how much fun I would years. fine, but I was convinced
have learning to care for Naming something, of she was a goner. Still, I
them. course, breeds connec- grabbed the watering can
Now, every morning at tion. I began to greet them and sprang into action. I
a time when I might usu- when I came home, and I gave her as much water
ally be kissing my fiancee started speaking to them as I could without drowning
goodbye as she heads like they were more pet her. I placed my phone be-
off to school, I amble over than plant. I have pur- side her and blasted music
to where Dylan sits on the chased spray bottles and just in case that could help.
windowsill and smile at plant food and a watering I prayed she liked Taylor
her buds, which seem to can and newer, prettier Swift.
have doubled in size each pots because my plants, of The next morning, Dylan
day. These new ones are a course, deserve the best. looked better. Her stem
bright, bold green. Plant parenting, it turns out, stood straighter and her re-
My plants help satisfy a is no easy task. Though they maining leaves had unfold-
dog-size hole in my heart. are indeed difficult to kill, it ed. Within days, little buds
Of course, they don’t re- takes effort to keep them grew where the leaves had
turn love the way a dog looking bright, shiny and been lost. I couldn’t believe
would, and I promise I am healthy. I am still learning it. She was going to make it.
fully aware they are not to care for them, but espe- Dylan has never looked
sentient beings. But they do cially now, I love the work quite the same since that
make the apartment feel of doing so. It brings com- weekend. Her frame has
brighter, warmer and cozi- fort, consistency. always looked a little barer.
er. They need me, and that Early in our plant parent- But now, it seems, just when
feels good. hood, we left town for the we need her to most, she is
This May 2019 photo shows Molly Sprayregen gazing at one of The first thing we did when weekend. When we got ready to grow again.
her new house plants in Chicago, Ill., which she named Dylan.
Associated Press we brought the plants home, we encountered di- Right now, it’s the sprouting
home was name them. We saster. Dylan was a mess. Al- of new leaves.q