I generally kill houseplants.  Well no, I generally just avoid buying houseplants.  I have no good places for them, and I worry the cats will either destroy them or be destroyed by them.  The ones I can’t resist usually die quickly in protest of my mistreatment of them.

But not this time.  This time I was unable to resist a cheap orchid at Trader Joes.  My thinking was that it didn’t cost any more than a bunch of flowers, and that it would probably last at least as long as they would.  That was three weeks ago, when this thing had exactly one bud slightly opened.  In the intervening period, I’ve stuck it in my dark office, watered it twice, and otherwise totally neglected it.  It is now covered in flowers (and seems to be growing a whole new branch of buds) and shows no signs of dying.  It also seems to match my red red walls almost frighteningly well.  And I know I may have jinxed it by mentioning it, but I’ve totally gotten my money’s worth at this point, so I’m willing to risk it.