#i also need to repot my ivy this weekend

[thessalian]

Thess vs Nurturing Instinct

So I’ve finally convinced myself to stop Doing Shit and just have the relaxing weekend I promised myself. Because, seriously, I promised that THIS weekend would be a nice relaxing weekend to let my body recover from the insane pain flares of the week.

But I needed groceries so that involved unpacking them when they got delivered and cleaning out the fridge. And I wanted to do some gardening and Did Myself An Ow. And then more gardening today, with an emergency repotting and a fair bit of reorganisation. And then I realised that the doormat I keep inside so I’m not tracking crap onto the carpet (crap as the carpets already are) probably needed to be shaken and beaten out onto the balcony because dust. And then since I was putting the gardening stuff away I figured I’d do a quick tidy of the dining table. And then I had to break down the boxes my stuff came in and take them out to the recycling, and took out the few other bits of recycling that had accumulated while I was at it, and also used that ‘being outside’ for a trip to the corner shop because I forgot to order cooking oil. And then I finally went to make myself a cup of coffee and needed to refill the sugar tin and had a bit of a spill so I had to wipe down the counter a bit, and then I noticed some other spots on the counter behind the stove top that needed a bit more attention. And since some of the sugar I spilled and wiped up ended up on the floor, I needed to break out the vacuum cleaner because we had a cockroach problem the other year and I don’t want to be the cause of a repeat of that mess...

I did stop myself before vacuuming the entire house. That’ll probably be tomorrow, on top of laundry. I swear, so much for relaxing weekends. Still, I know myself well enough to know that if I feel like cleaning, I should do so, because otherwise I can executive dysfunction myself right into a mess too large to fix easily.

Anyway, thing I noticed when I went out to the shops. You know how some of us get with stray animals, cooing endearments and offering affection and being upset and worried when they look injured or mistreated?

Well, apparently I’m like that with plants now. Any plants. All plants.

I pass a local cemetery when I go to the corner shop. It’s largely fenced off with wooden fencing along that particular road. Ivy grows across both sides of it, and the ivy shares the inside space with a truly prodigious amount of blackberry bramble. Like, the entire cemetery is ringed with blackberry bushes and every late summer / early autumn, I’ll go out there with a plastic bag and do some harvesting at least once, and I’ll be plucking a handful of berries to eat on my way to work or back home every work day. (I plan to make blackberry jam this year. Strawberry too, if my strawberries produce fruit the way I hope they will.)

Anyway, the ivy. I noted that it’s drying up fairly badly in sections, and gone all brown and crunchy. I never paid that much mind before and now I’m standing there going, “You poor thing! Don’t worry; it looks like it’s going to rain soon...” I notice the snapdragons that grow under somebody’s hedge and can’t help thinking that they’re probably really deprived of light down there and wonder if anyone would mind if I just ... brought a pot and gave it a good home. I am appalled that no one seems to be taking care of the potted begonias the management association puts by the front door to the block of flats and might go down there with plant food and a watering can at this rate.

As for the blackberry bushes? Mostly today it was, “Hello, bees!”

Look, clearly nurturing my plants has done me some good. This is the best I’m going to get, since I’m not really allowed pets in here. Though I imagine that things like maybe goldfish would be okay, and that might actually be an idea. My gardening has been keeping me sane and some fish would probably add to that. I mean, I’d prefer rats, but even with the recent push for them to be recognised as the great pets they are, people still look askance at them (which is stupid, since this is the country that started breeding pet fancy rats in the first fucking place, so why the hell they need to be reminded that rats are not plague factories is beyond me). Fish are easier. Also way less expensive, particularly since there isn’t a lot a vet can do with a sick neon tetra or whatever.

Summary: I can’t really have pets (I’m not going to give a pet a home unless I am absolutely sure that they and I can live to a decent standard, which includes food, sanitation, enrichment, and pet insurance since there’s no NHS for pets - though fish are an option and small rodents might be on the table), I’m not having kids (same reasons, partly with the addition of asexuality but fostering or adoption might be on the table if I was healthy enough physically and financially to ensure a child a good life), and I want something to nurture. If those things are green and leafy, that’s fine. They may not provide the usual compensations, but they’re pretty and they feed me. I will not be like the kid in The Giving Tree; my plants feed me, and I will give them everything they need to thrive in return. Sometimes that means more than water and plant food and sunshine. Sometimes that means apologies for overwatering or encouragement of the “don’t worry; you’ll feel better soon” variety when something is wilting due to overly cramped roots.

As for my reactions to plants I see outside? Well, fuck it; if I can give all the encouraging words in the world to my oregano when I’m repotting it, I can spare a few for the ivy around the cemetery or the snapdragons down the block. Words cost little, but mean a lot.

#Thess on gardening #Thess is a motherfucking adult

[sunwisecircle]

Me: please germinate little seeds!

Seeds, being babied on the windowsill: >:( no!

Me: It's mid May you should have sprouted a week ago. I'm putting you on the porch.

Seeds, after a few days, not even a week:

H e n l o

#shut up dyllan #some zinnias and lavender have started #as well as either marjoram or thyme #the labels were on the egg carton and of course they didn't put up any seedlings before i moved them outside #no word yet from the hot peppers #and the single rosemary seedling is still living their best life on the windowsill #i also need to repot my ivy this weekend #she's getting so big!

[kusunogatari]

[ ObiRyū October | Day Nineteen | Plants ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū, Hatake Kakashi ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ]

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“You know what you need, Obito?”

Biting his tongue for a moment in concentration, Obito lets the dart in his fingers fly free. It hits the board two inches from the middle, up to the left. “Therapy?” he then replies, scowling at his point total so far. Kakashi is winning. And that’s unacceptable.

“Well...yeah,” the Hatake replies. “But therapy is expensive. I was going to suggest something a little...simpler.”

“Maybe a date, then?”

“You think a date is simple?”

“Ha...true. What, then?”

“A plant.”

“...a what?”

Kakashi laughs, getting up from his reclined position to take his turn. “A plant. I’ve been reading about how they can help a person’s mood by adding something to their environment. Y’know, since we’re stuck here in the concrete jungle.”

Obito can’t help a flat snort at that. “True enough. But I’ve never had a plant before. I’d probably kill it.”

“Get a cactus. You hardly ever have to water it.”

“Will my cat chew on it?”

“Not if it’s halfway smart. Would you chew on a cactus?”

Obito doesn’t bother answering that. “So I get a plant, and...then what?”

“You enjoy it. You do know how to actually enjoy things, don’t you?”

“Plants just...sit there. What good does it do? That doesn’t make any sense, Kakashi.”

“I got one about a month ago. It sits in my kitchen window. I dunno - it makes me smile. To know that there’s something alive, thriving where I live.”

“I already have that with my cat.”

“Plants are different. I have my dog, but it’s not the same. I can’t really explain it, but it really does feel like things are a bit lighter in my apartment. Just give it a try. I think you’d like it.”

Frowning, Obito...doesn’t quite understand. He already has something living in his apartment. Tenebris is great company. Why Kakashi thinks a plant will magically be better is beyond him, but...well, he’ll give a try. “All right, fine. I’ll try to find one this weekend when I’m off work.”

Once said weekend rolls around, Obito keeps his promise and heads to his local farm and garden store. Which...he’s never once set foot in, given he has neither a farm, nor a garden. Not until now, anyway.

...does one plant count as a garden? He’ll say it does.

The store is actually really big, and he hesitates by the entrance for a moment. They...do sell plants here, right? Because he’s not really sure he could manage with some seeds.

A sales associate then asks if he needs any help.

“I’m, er...looking to buy a plant…?”

“All right! Any specific kind?”

“Something...easy. I’m new to this.”

“Sure, sure. Our greenhouse is along the left hand side of the store - just follow the wall and you can’t miss it. Ask for Ryū, she’ll help you out.”

“All right. Thanks.”

Directions acquired, he follows them, passing by a million things he’d never have a use for before making it to the automatic doors that lead into the garden center.

As the doors open, a pleasant aroma reaches his nose. Obito finds himself taken aback. He knows flowers are supposed to smell good, but this is a lot stronger than he was expecting.

This place is huge! Which...he supposes makes sense. A whole section is set aside for supplies: planters, watering cans, sprinklers, even fancy stuff like fountains and statues. A bit outside his budget, let alone the space in his teeny tiny apartment. Then there’s soil mixtures, fertilizers, and concrete border bricks and rocks.

Only then do they get to the plants, and...wow, there’s a lot. Flowers are the vast majority, but he also spots some like berry plants, baby trees and hedges, and decorative plants like ivies and ferns. There’s so many he literally has no idea where to start.

Well...he supposes a good first step would be finding this Ryū lady the guy inside said to look for.

There’s a guy at the register they keep out here, but...he doesn’t see a woman. Maybe she’s hidden among an aisle somewhere? Not wanting to look lost again, he instead tries looking like he’s browsing, peeking surreptitiously into every new row of plants and supplies. Several attempts later, he finds what he’s actually looking for.

Ryū - if that’s actually who this is - is up on a step stool to reach the topmost shelf, rearranging some flowers that he has...no idea what they’re called. She’s wearing a plain brown smock over the store’s uniform, a kerchief helping to keep her hair out of her face, and...wow. Her hair is white…? Reminds him of Kakashi’s, but it’s even lighter, and...wavy! It kinda looks like a poofy cloud around her face.

And then he realizes she’s looking inquisitively at him.

“Oh, uh…”

“Can I help you?”

He shifts his weight, suddenly nervous. She’s actually really...cute? Large grey eyes in a heart-shaped face watch him curiously. “I’m...looking for a plant…”

Stepping down to the concrete floor, she dusts at her apron and then gives a sweet giggle. “Well, you’re in the right place for that! Can you...be at all more specific?”

How to explain… “Well, a...friend of mine suggested I look into it. But I’ve never had a plant before. So I’m looking for something...easy. Simple.”

Understanding alights her face. “I see! Well, I’ve got a few that are pretty easy to keep.” Gesturing for him to follow, Ryū leads him to another aisle. “This is a snake plant! They need very few waterings, and don’t need a lot of direct sunlight in case you don’t have a well-placed window or balcony. Then we have a spider plant. They do like sun, but it’s not a full necessity. They just thrive a bit better that way. When it’s warm they like a good amount of water, but you can cut back when it gets cooler. There’s also...devil’s ivy - they like dry soil. Aloe vera needs good drainage, and a cactus soil is best for them. Then on the other end of the spectrum, nerve plants like a lot of water, if you’re the sort to go a bit overboard!”

Obito watches as she points out all the different plants. None of them have flowers on them, but...well, he doesn’t really mind. Flowers are a bit too feminine for him, anyway. Something simple and green should suit him just fine. But she starts dumping a bit too much information on him, and he flounders. “...uh…?”

Realizing as much, she laughs again. “Sorry, sorry...I tend to ramble. If I were you, I’d try devil’s ivy first. They don’t need a lot of water or light. And they grow like weeds, which is fun! I recommend putting them in a hanging pot so all the limbs can drape down. It’s really pretty. Just be careful about overwatering, as that can bring about root rot. Make sure the soil gets plenty dry before you water again!”

Picking up one of the plants, Obito looks it over. The subtle marbling of lighter green on the leaves is pretty cool. It reminds him of his friend Zetsu, what with his vitiligo. Maybe he’ll name the plant after him. And it’s not too expensive, either. “Okay, I’ll give this one a try.”

“Perfect!”

“Do I...need anything else?”

“You can get an attachment to turn that pot into a hanging one - they’re easy to put on and pretty cheap. Once it grows a fair bit, you’ll need to repot it: to put it in a bigger pot so the roots don’t get too crowded. But that’ll be a while yet. It’s already in potting soil, so it won’t need any fertilizer, either. And you can just water it with a cup, honestly. Unless you feel like getting fancy, you should be good to go! There’s a million guides online if you need more help, too. Never fear looking something up if you’ve got any questions.”

“Er...okay.”

“So...I guess if that’s all you want, we can get you rung up out here, so you can take your new plant baby home!”

Subtly, Obito’s nose wrinkles. Baby…? But he doesn’t complain, following her to the checkout stand after getting a hanger for the planter and paying for his new plant. Then it’s a walk to the bus, a short ride, and he’s back at his apartment.

...now what?

His apartment does have a small balcony that faces to the west - it gets a good amount of afternoon sun. He’ll have to look up how much is enough and not too much. He doesn’t have any hooks to hang it on yet, so...for now, he can just set it on the floor. But will Tenebris bother it?

Speaking of, she’s purring and twisting around his legs as he gets home, looking to the plant curiously. He cautiously offers it for her to sniff. He occasionally gets her those little pet grasses (which never last longer than a week before it dies…), but otherwise she doesn’t get anything green.

After a few sniffs, she declares it inspected and leaves it alone.

...well, hopefully she won’t try and chew it.

Just in case, he fetches a little end table from his room to set it on, arranging it by the glass door to the balcony. The soil feels a little damp, so no need for water. He makes a mental note to get some hooks next time he’s out and about.

...he’ll admit, it looks...nice. And it’ll look even better once he gets it hanging.

For now, he snaps a picture of it with his phone, first sending it to Kakashi with the message, all right, got the plant. happy now? :P

The next he sends to Zetsu. made a new friend today and named it after you. see the resemblance?

From there, he decides it’s about time for some lunch, so...he leaves Zetsu junior by the door and fixes himself some quick food.

And so begins a new routine. After feeding Tenebris every night (and cleaning her litter box, eugh), he checks the plant. A finger gauges the dampness of the soil, giving it a little water whenever he finds it to be too dry. Careful eyes look it over for any imperfections.

...and every time he looks at it, he’s reminded of the lady who sold it to him. What was her name? Ryū? She was super helpful, and...really nice.

...and really cute.

He kind of wants to go back and see if she’s there again. Why, he’s not sure. He doubts he’d have the stones to ask her for her number or anything. After all, their only connection is as a customer and retailer. She was nice because that’s her job: to encourage someone to buy something.

Which he did.

Would she even remember him? It’s been two weeks now...surely he’s lost in a haze of other people she’s been forced to talk to since then.

...but in the end, he decides to try.

This time, he knows exactly where he’s going when he steps into the building. But...he also lingers outside the door for a little while, realizing he has no idea what he’s going to do or say once he gets in there.

And it doesn’t help there’s some kind of a sale going on, so the place is actually a bit crowded. He doesn’t want to interrupt her working: he knows that well enough himself. But he’s already come this far, he can’t just leave now!

So he squares his shoulders, takes a breath...and then heads inside.

Quite a few people mill about, looking at all the wares and plants within the garden center. To help with the load, more employees are fluttering around compared to last time. Everywhere he looks, there’s people.

But where is Ryū…?

With so many others to catch attention, he doesn’t bother trying to hide his searching gaze, everyone too focused on their own tasks to care. He makes a full lap around without seeing her. Did he really manage to miss her, or...maybe she’s not here? Surely she must be! Then his whole trip would be for noth-

“Whoa!”

Rounding a corner, Obito manages to skid to a stop before running into...Ryū! She too comes up short, eyes wide in surprise and clinging to the woven bamboo in a pot she’s carrying.

“...oh! It’s you again!”

Wait, she...she recognizes -? Oh...it’s then he thinks to account for his scars. That would make him memorable.

“The guy with the devil’s ivy, right? How’s it doing? Did you get it hung okay?”

He blinks. “...uh...y-yeah, I did. It’s by my balcony door. Seems to like it there.”

“That’s great!” She gives him a smile. “See, I told you it wouldn’t be so bad! Are you here to get another plant?”

“... uh ?”

“I know it’s hard to stop once you start, right? You could get a second ivy and have one on each side of the door!”

“Er, maybe...actually, I -?”

“If you wait just a sec, I can help you look for one! I need to run this to a guy at checkout, then I’ll be free!”

“Uh -?” Before he can protest, she’s already zipping back to the counter.

This isn’t good. He’s not here for another plant, he’s here to say hi! But now he’ll feel bad if he doesn’t get one...and maybe she’s right. Having a balance would look nice. And then Zetsu junior won’t be lonely. But what to name the other one...Zetsu the third?

As he mulls it over, Ryū manages to return unscathed. “So, what do you think?”

“Sure, I...can get another one.”

“Perfect!” They move to the right aisle, Obito perusing the plants before picking one up.

“So...um…”

“Need anything else?”

The tips of his ears slowly go red. “Well, actually...why I really came here was to...say hi. You were...really helpful before. I appreciated it.”

Ryū blinks, clearly taken aback. “Oh...well, you’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by again! Um…” Her smile then turns sheepish. “Sorry...you don’t have to get another plant, I just...figured that’s what you wanted.”

“No, it’s fine! You’re right, it’ll be nice to have the balance. And it’s...nice seeing you again.”

At that, she suddenly turns bashful, gaze dropping and a hand tucking hair behind her ear. “Yeah...you too.”

...a silence falls. And then -

“Would you -”

“Could I -”

“Like to -”

“Get your -”

“Trade -”

“Numbers?”

As the sentences jumble together, they both come to a stop with a jolt before laughing nervously. “Sorry, um...what was that?”

“Nothing, I just...uh…”

“Um...maybe we could...exchange numbers…? Y’know...just to chat?”

Obito blinks. Did she really just -? “...yeah! Yeah, I - I’d like that.”

“Okay...cool!” She fetches her mobile, Obito doing the same as they add one another. “...there. I guess I’ll have to talk to you later! I better get back to it, or...I’ll get in trouble.”

“Oh, sorry!”

“It’s fine - we’re busy enough I bet no one’s noticed I’m gone yet. But it was nice seeing you again, um…?”

“Obito! And you were...Ryū?”

“Yeah!”

He grins. “...all right, well...see you...later?”

“Yeah...have fun with your new plant!”

“I will, heh. Later.” Paying for Zetsu number three, Obito heads home with a light feeling in his chest. That...went far better than he could have dared to hope.

He’ll have to tell Kakashi he’s one step closer to getting that date, too.

     This...could be longer but it’s late and I’m tired :’D Meg yet again suggested a plot and it was SUPER CUTE. Hopefully I did it justice in my limited time jkjhfdg      Meg and I have both become plant parents over the last year so this is super relatable x’D You can’t get just one. You can’t.      But now, it is bedtime. I must sleep uwu Thanks for reading!

#obiryū october #abyssaldespair #uchiha obito #suigin ryū #hatake kakashi #best years of your life [ au ]

[keporkak]

koi’ve decided to write a little diary here again, since 1. i need to practice my english 2. i really need to declutter my brain 3. i miss being able to remember little day to day things, and revisiting my thoughts even years later. so here goes - this is i suppose kinda private, but not really, it IS on a public tumblr - however one that nobody visits much (hello arlet!)

so this is a ramble about my new job, a long bit about my plants and my garden.

i’ve been at this new office job (scoff!! why, again?) for 2 weeks and i’m not sure i’ll last more than a month. after the whole quarantine thing, i realised how much i love just... not having to wake up in the morning when i’m least functional, getting ready (i hate how much effort i have to put into my appearance. i know i dont HAVE to, but I feel like once you set a standard at a new workplace you kinda... can’t go below it without people actively noticing it), and taking 40 minutes by buses to get there. this was supposed to be a remote job!! and i don’t feel competent at it at all!! and people are pretty dismissive and rude!!! and i wrote like 3 paragraphs just complaining about it, but i deleted those just now. idk, what’s the point, right. i just don’t like it here, and i will last till the end of the month so i get one proper payout and then i might just quit and REALLY try to survive on freelance. if ONLY i was more successful at building an audience, and potential customers!! jesus. i don’t know. i don’t draw because i don’t feel like people care to see it, and obviously if i don’t try i won’t gain anything. why am i like this

anyway, a nice thing is that i feel like my plants are trying to cheer me up?

first of all, pretty much all of my 16 houseplants are doing well - my monstera deliciosa is SUCH a good lil bugger, she keeps sprouting new leaves every week! soon she’ll have to be repotted at this rate. and my finicky calathea, whom i recently treated of mites, which involved meticulously scrubbing every leaf with a toothbrush, is also sprouting two new leaves - something i have NEVER seen her do in the months of owning her. i guess this is her way of thanking me!

in addition to that - after my balcony garden got SCORCHED by the sudden heatwave this month, it’s finally recovering - i threw out the ugly little flowers that completely dried out and replaced them with fresh herbs (more my style, the flowers were a gift from my dad). i planted my some lemon balm, chives, oregano, mint, and my favorite herb - parsley. in addition to that, my strawberry plant has waken up from its little coma - after the insane harvest of spring berries it exhausted itself and went dormant - and now it’s round two, baby! she’s full of fresh leaves and flowers and everyday i get to snack on at least 4 new ripe strawbs. i can’t believe my dad suggested throwing her out after she stopped bearing fruit and got burnt leaves from the sun! look at her now. beautiful. dad’s jealous now, too, we bought the strawberry plants together from the same store and his never did this well.

i still have an abundance of cherry tomatoes and my bell peppers are finally ripening too, which is nice. on top of that, i planted some raddish and kohlrabi (turnip?) and to my shock, after my weekend camping trip, i found that they have both sprouted already! that’s like, four days! damn.

my heart still aches after the tragic loss of my favourite one  - the pea plant that i managed to, in record time, raise from a seed into a full grown plant that gave me exactly 12 delicious pea pods before succumbing to sudden 35 celsius heat. I nearly cried when i had to throw it out, but i kept the pot.... and like a phoenix from its ashes, it has risen again!! a little sprout, but we’ll see how it does. we do love a good comeback story!

today i also bought an ivy plant that i planted next to the herbs (is that a good idea? idk we’ll see) and some seeds that i planted, too (basil, more parsley, more chives, spinach, and some pea seeds that i sprinkled around my pea plant to give it some company hopefully, haha). we’ll see. i enjoy growing plants from nothing - it feels incredibly invigorating to see baby greens poking out of the dirt where there was nothing before. it’s not easy, but it’s rewarding.

random cute stuff from the past week that i can think of :

-camping trip was nice. saw a lot of gorgeous nature, went for a really nice long bike ride, ate some really good ice cream.

-biking is still amazing, i love my bike (i named him lestat, cause he’s got sass) and i go almost every day. thank god petržalka is such a heaven for cyclists. 

-cashier lady in billa complimented me on my stag beetle brooch that i have on my bag strap. it is a not much of a brooch, it is literally a 10 cm plastic beetle that i glued pin closings to, and he’s very visible on my chest. looks pretty realistic. it was nice to see him appreciated!!

-i might start streaming, just for my friends? like, videogames. i’m good at some, very good at others, and i can talk passionately about most, and that’s why throughout my life many of my friends and family members really enjoyed watching me play. i don’t know, but i don’t mind. i don’t really want an audience of strangers, but i don’t mind the occasional company and giving my friends something to fall asleep to. i mean i play vidya often anyway, so there is not much extra effort there haha

also, not cute, but tomorrow i have my 3 hour dentist session. i’m not excited for it, but i guess it’ll bring me a bit closer to my new teeth. jesus, i can’t wait. i know it will take like 2 more months to have it all done, but i really really want it to be done.

#dennicek