"...I think that I shall never see..."

Charlie, surveying his realm...



which includes the now empty pot on the left...
as well as the ficus on the right...
not exactly flourishing...
but at least not dying...

I find no evidence of catly depravity in the now empty pot...
[and believe me, if they're using a pot for a "catbox", you can smell it...
so for years now, I've put good sized rocks in all large pots...
because it "discourages" them...]
so the very large ficus that lived there for several years...
must have just died, "because"...[?]

when I moved in, over 20 years ago, I brought a large ficus with me...

purchased especially for my east-facing front window...[$50...]
it was in reality many ficus trees in one pot...
I eventually found a l-a-r-g-e stoneware pot, [made in China...]
on a visit to the Oregon coast and hauled it home...

I don't know how much it weighs...[at least 100 lbs...]
but after I wrestled it out of the car...
and onto the porch... I moved it inside, empty...
& have always "filled it" inside...
already set in its saucer, on a rolling plant dolly...



the sad remnants of ficus #2...
which was a single trunk tree, quite tall...
and cost twice as much as the 1st one did...

it went in probably 7 or 8 years ago...
and being close to both the fireplace and the furnace grate...
got a bit dry this last winter...
not helped by the pot becoming Molly's favorite step-up to see out the window...

jumping dogs break brittle branches...

it was showing a bit of new growth this spring...
but that was soon trampled & dried up...

considering my current financial straights...
I was considering leaving the Chinese pot empty...
then I found this at OSH, while buying herbs...



they had just set 5 of them out...

all braided trunks, which means a thicker crown...

this one had the nicest confirmation, seemed very healthy...
and came up to about my eyes...AND... it was $25.00 !!

ficus Benjamina in a 10 inch pot, 5 feet tall with a braided trunk...
cost at least $50... and I've seen some for more than that...

so I took out my "mad money"... and bought it...
[I still had some then...]

its been sitting on my porch for nearly a month now...
it's covered with new growth and very happy...

soon, it'll be ensconced in the Chinese pot in the LR...

that'll be a project to document...