At last count, it's sporting 30 buds, but Emma spied a couple more as I photographed my baby.
Chrissy has been through thick and thin, hot and cold. My mom gave me a cutting of her plant when I officially moved out of the house just before my senior year of college. If I'm not mistaken, she got her clipping from her own mom's plant. Is that right, Mom?
She rode in the backseat along with the kids on the long trek to Chicago and I carefully toted it in and out of motel rooms for the 11-day trip. Otherwise, she would have become a Popsicle version of the plant seeing as we were driving through the Great North States in February.
The move to Michigan was an easy one for my plant friends, taking just seven hours.
From Michigan to Washington? Well, some piece of luggage (or possibly a thrown toy) took out a a big ol' chunk of Chrissy. I remember being so upset! I replanted it immediately, but it didn't take. *sigh*
Same thing happened on her crushed and crowded ride to San Diego. But this time, the "clipping" took root and is happily growing new leaves all the time. Yay!
Chrissy didn't bloom last year, but the year before, I spotted her first bud on Halloween. She actually bloomed on Easter Sunday. How funny is that?
Merry Christmas from Chrissy the Christmas Cactus!
3 comments:
How very cool. My mother bought the plant in 1936. Throughout my growing up years, the plant remained small and only produced one flower over those years. After I married, Mother divided the plant in three and gave one to Sue and one to me. My plant also stayed small and one year had a bud which fell off. I think the house was too dry. When we moved to CA, Dad took the Christmas cactus by plane and someone in his office watched over. That year, it bloomed prolifically. For the next couple of years, it bloomed at Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July. It continued to bloom yearly through our various moves from coastal northern CA to southern CA to northern CA in the foothills. I've kept it out on the back deck but this year brought it in because of the cold. It had only two blossoms this year which were just beautiful. It's a very old plant now and is huge. It most likely needs to be repotted with fresh soil but is too large for me to handle. Dad did it the last couple of times but that was in San Diego. However, as long as I remember to water it occasionally, it remains green and healthy looking. So very glad your's is doing so well.
Why don't you pick up some fresh soil and Scott and I will help you when we get there. Can't wait!
There is a bag of fresh soil waiting in the shed.
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