8.

NKOTB

I am suddenly responsible for five plant lives. I went from zero plants to five plants in two days. I was supposed to buy one small houseplant to go on my new shelf, but then the one I bought for the new shelf looked better by the door, so I needed another one for the shelf… But then that made one side of the room really plant-heavy, so the other side needed a plant to balance it all out… And it couldn’t hurt to get a wee plant for the kitchen, which brought me to the badly neglected small plant section, plants that were certainly going to die, so I had to buy one of those—rescue it, give it a good home (which is exactly why me & mom aren’t allowed to go to the pound anymore).

I already know that the rescue plant isn’t going to make it. After transplanting it, I decided that all it really needed was some sunlight, so I put it on my back porch. In the middle of the day. In Tucson. And it’s fried.

After getting to know them a little, I've decided to name them after NKOTB. Donnie is the big one by the window, the leader. Jordan is the tall attractive one on the shelf. Jonathan is the one over in corner that's leafy like the tall one, but shy. Joey Joe is the wee one in the kitchen (this is NKOTB circa Joey-Joe's rendition of "I Still Believe in Santa Claus"). And the one that's barely hanging on is Danny. No one really liked him and the band could have totally gone on without him.

I really want to be the kind of person who can have a house full of healthy, thriving plants. I’m trying not to see the already-fried plant as somehow symbolic of my personality. I bought plant food, a watering can, and the good dirt that the Home Depot guy recommended. I even marked my chicken calendar so I’ll know when it’s time to feed them again. I want to do this well. I know that I got carried away, should have eased in. I have a bamboo plant that’s been alive for months now, blurring my long history of plant death—all those leafy bodies on my conscience. But I have the plant food and the watering can and the good dirt. I learned my lesson today with the whole scorching sun thing. Step four Danny: I can give you more.