AT LONG LAST: PLANT-BLOGGING AND THE RETURN OF THE GARBAGE GODS

As I am sensitive to the requests of both of my regular readers ("Anonymous" and that other "Anonymous"), today I return to the mighty house-plant blogging endeavor. In fact, I have been so remiss in my plant blogging that I have failed to mention two new plants. The first is a Rosemary plant, one of two that the BLF and I picked up in Gwangju two weekends ago (the other is suffering a slow death in her dark apartment). This bad boy has already been trimmed for at least two chicken dinners. The second plant is some other kind of thing, which I picked up just down the street.

But that was then and this is now.

The first thing to note is that I did track down some potting soil. I memorized the word for soil and went into a little shop just up the street. It looked grim upon entry – the typical collection of lovely plants that were clearly rootbound in the little containers in which they sat. But using my piss-poor Korean and pointing, I got across to the woman what I was looking for. She moved a little screen aside, and lo and behold there were three bags of potting soil. I purchased one for 10 chun won and lugged it up to my apartment. I also asked the woman if she had any pots, but the ones she had were quite expensive clay ones.

Buoyed by my victory, I went back out onto the street to try to find some kind of ceramics store which might have something I could use for pots. No luck there, but the garbage gods did bless me with one medium-sized plastic bowl that had previously served to hold something greasy, with green flecks. I tried not to think about that as I tucked it into my backpack. I made it back to the apartment with this treasure in tow, and decided it was time for the heavy-drinking section of my day.

I stepped outside my door, took about 23 (it could have been 22) steps down the hill and, lo and behold(!), there next to some brand new garbage, was a big old black pot.

I beelined over to the thing and was ecstatic to see that it contained several more largish pots that would suit me just fine. This put off the heavy-drinking section of my day by several score minutes. I scooted back up to the pad and started dishing dirt (as I do) and pulling plants out of pots and re-potting them.

When I was done, my repotted collection was fantabulous. Also, I was coated in mud and dirt was scattered all over the floor.

Now I need to figure out where to place these plants, as well as get a few new ones. I want full-tropical up in this fugger. Full Tropical!!

When I get all that figured out, I'll be back with the most potted plant shots since Chris Hitchens went after Al Sharpton about atheism!