Moving Houseplants

Neighbor Shawn and I sat on my porch one evening to watch the sun set behind the mountains. When the rays of the sun were no longer shining on us, it became chilly quickly. That may have been what prompted her comment that it was about time to take plants in for the winter. I knew I had been getting cool at night and finally switched the system from cooling to heating. If I felt it, I’m sure my plants were even more aware of it. Poor plants. All these years here I didn’t take them inside until temperatures were almost freezing. It just shows what a novice I am.

Still, I was in no special hurry. A day or so later I thought I’d at least trim the plants. That didn’t take long, so I began to move them to their winter quarters in the living room. It was as big a job as I remembered and promptly took a break half way through. It’s awkward to hold a big pot in front of yourself and navigate around furniture. I slept well that night and presume the plants did, too.

In daylight I took a photo, probably to congratulate myself on doing something I would rather have put off. I’m writing this in the same room with the plants, gladly exchanging my carbon dioxide for their oxygen. Thank you, plants.

24 thoughts on “Moving Houseplants”

  1. They look lovingly at home by the window, and warm up the room! You are fortunate to have those window banks there. My moon cacti are still doing well on the porch, but I only have one house plant left.

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  2. Many years ago, my next-door neighbor Marge took in all my small ornamental tree in a pot and the two hibiscus plants, also in pots. She had a big door wall and they got a lot of sun through the glass. Then she got a dog in the Fall and used that door wall to let the dog in/out of the house. I had to put everything in my basement and with no sun and the heat everything died almost as quickly as she got rid of the dog who chewed everything in sight!

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      1. Yes, I was pretty bummed to lose everything in a matter of weeks, especially since Marge didn’t keep Cody for very long – it was a Malti-poo (half Maltese and half Poodle) and it acted like a wild animal. She crated it when she went to work (she was still healthy at that time) and the minute she let it up, it raced around the house breaking things, crashing into furniture. Her long-time cat had died, so she was looking for a companion animal. Then she got a cat from the shelter and called it “Sassy” … she had it one day and it went back. She came home from work, pulled up in the driveway and could see the mess through her living room window. Sassy had climbed up her tall Victorian Christmas tree, knocked it over, bulbs were broken, the long sashes hanging down from the treetop were ripped to threads, as were her living room sheers. She crated the cat and stopped at the shelter enroute to work.

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              1. Yes – Marge was funny. She was still working and said “I like how they come to the front of the bowl to greet me when I get home from work.” (I didn’t say that it might be they are looking to be fed.)

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  3. Such a charming post, Anne! I love how something as simple as bringing the plants indoors becomes a little story about changing seasons, home, and caring for the things that become part of our lives. Your plants certainly look like they’re in good hands for the winter! 🌿😊

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