Liefde hangt in de lucht

I would love to have them, but unfortunately they are not for sale. It's actually a kind of language or math knack: an innate talent. Recognizable by the color green, but certainly not immediately visible. Alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer: I'm talking about green fingers. Which I clearly do not have. In fact, at the editorial office, I am even known as the plant killer. As soon as I'm spotted with a watering can, I'm kindly asked to crawl back behind my laptop.

Seriously, even a cactus doesn't survive with me as a roommate. And yet I keep buying plants, because I find them so cozy. I repot, water with a special spray, I ask for extensive advice in the store resulting in a bag of way too expensive soil and accompanying nutrients, and I even try to give them a pep talk from time to time. I truly have love for my plants, the love is just not mutual. And I guess I just have to accept that now.

At least, I'm still a little bit in denial with a half-cooked banana plant next to me, but my girlfriend is not. Because last week the doorbell rang and I was surprised with the cutest birthday card including these lovely air plants. Yes, these plants are really called that because they get their nutrients from the air. The Tillandsia plants don't need soil or water. You would think they are therefore immortal. And let me be the perfect guinea pig for that. Because if this is a match, it's a match made in heaven, for everyone. To be continued..