Succulents rock. If you’re not familiar, succulents are a
variety of plant that holds water in their stems, roots and leaves, so they are drought
tolerant. They’re efficient, but they’re really beautiful, too. I think some of
them look like underwater plants or creatures from another planet.
Today’s costume features these plants I like so much. I have
lots of succulents in our yard, so using cuttings from them is an easy way to
create free accessories. Plus, afterward I can remove them from my crown and
plant them, so this is literally an earth-friendly accessory. I may hang up the
necklace outdoors and see if it grows with a little air, sun and water—a modern
day Chia pet.
My succulent passion developed eight years ago. I’d been
vaguely aware of them before that, since our friend Nils grows and loves
succulents, although I didn’t catch the fever back then. But one day, as though
someone flipped a switch somewhere in the universe, succulents suddenly were on
my radar and I fell for them big time. I wondered why I hadn’t been seduced by
their magic earlier. In any case, overnight I became a big succulent fan. I
bought them off of Craigslist. I happily accepted cuttings from other succulent
fans. On daily walks I stopped to ask other gardening enthusiasts about their
plants. Seven years ago I met Herb while standing outside his gate, admiring
his succulents. I was so enchanted by the garden that it
took me a minute to realize that its owner was sitting among hundreds of
plants, as still as they were. Eventually I interviewed Herb, and the article
was published in a local paper. Herb has a succulent love on a different level
than mine: he spends as many as thirty hours a week on his plants, although he
says some of that time isn’t strictly necessary for their survival—it’s for the
enjoyment he gets from the plants. So maybe the time with his plants is
necessary for Herb’s survival. He’s onto
something, I’d say—after all, he’s active and happy and in his late eighties…
Did you know that succulents don’t just come in shades of
green? Some change color, like Sticks of Fire:
Others grow a colorful bloom:
I
could go on for hours about succulents, but for now I’ll just share some photos
of some of the plants that have given me such happiness over the years.
If you think cacti and succulents aren’t exciting, I dare you to visit the Cactus Garden in San Diego’s Balboa Park and let’s see if you don’t change your mind…
If orchids and other plants can be made into leis and accessories, why can’t succulents? They’re heavier than some plants because of their clever water storage system, but I don’t mind wearing a weighty crown of succulents. In fact, I’m glad to give them the spotlight they deserve…
*****
Post Script: I want to share something that is unrelated
to today’s costume--but it is related to how we present ourselves every day.
Last week when I was zipping around in my hummingbird hat a guy in his twenties
passed me and said, “Someone stuck something goofy on your head.” To which I
replied immediately, “I did,” and
kept walking. It’s interesting to me how quickly our brains work. I had a mere
second to decide whether to respond to his remark. In that brief time I
considered my options. Ignoring him was one. But I quickly decided that this
option didn’t work for me. Ignoring someone can be interpreted as not standing
up for yourself and I didn’t want him to mistake a non reply for my feeling
intimidated or shamed by him. I liked that my instinct was to own my choice to wear unusual creations
I’ve made. No one put that hat on me, as he suggested. I make my own decisions.
People can like my creations or they can find dislike them. That’s not my
business and I’m not losing sleep over his comment. Most people seem to like my
creativity. I can count on one hand the people who have made rude comments
about my costumes in the last eight months. The only reason I’m mentioning that
comment now is because I was delighted that (unlike in the past) my instinct
was to speak up. My point is this: I hope that like me, you’ll feel comfortable
expressing yourself. Not everyone will understand or approve, but that can’t be
our concern. Be you, and own it, baby!
Beautiful. I've been meaning to hit the cactus garden--must do this weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim! I think you'll love it. It's FAB...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, sweet Maia...
DeleteVery pretty and unique! Roxanne
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rox! XO
DeleteAnother fantastically original creation, and a "literally earth-friendly accessory".. I love it! And I love seeing you just being you. �� lovely!
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you. Is this Spencer? I want to know whom to thank...
DeleteYes, yes, yes to this entire post, including the post script. You rock!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mara. You rock, too...
DeleteIt is amazing that you are able to get them all to stay in place. And it is beautiful too! Great job!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Adri. This one was a little less time-consuming than some of my costumes but hey, it's Science Fair season and there's a lot happening...
ReplyDeletesure wish your little ones went to hawthorne so we could see your outfits every wednesday!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jill! Thanks so much. Glad you're enjoying my adventures...
ReplyDelete